The Penn State Nittany Lions received exciting news regarding one of the program's top playmakers ahead of the 2026 college football season.
As the Penn State Nittany Lions continue to build up the program’s roster for the 2026 season, newly-hired head coach Matt Campbell has faced some adversity since he arrived in State College.
On Friday, former 2024 four-star running back Corey Smith announced that he will be entering the transfer portal. However, Campbell also received some positive news shortly after regarding a young playmaker.
According to a social media post on Friday, Penn State running back Quinton Martin Jr. announced that he will be back with the program for the 2026 college football season.
Martin, a former four-star running back in the Nittany Lions’ 2024 class, was the No. 6 running back in his class, as well as a top-three recruit in the state of Pennsylvania, per 247Sports’ Composite.
The dynamic rusher, along with Smith, was set to take over the run game once both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen left the program. However, Martin now looks to be the lone successor of the duo following the recent news of Smith’s departure.
During his freshman season in State College, Martin saw a limited amount of playing time, as he would play in four contests. He would finish his 2024 season with 13 carries for 32 yards, along with three catches for 17 yards through the air.
While many believed that Martin could see more playing time this past season, it would not be until Penn State’s bowl game against the Clemson Tigers that he would see the field for the Nittany Lions. Luckily, the rising playmaker was able to command the backfield with both Singleton and Allen opting out of the game, which ultimately led to a massive performance for Martin.
The sophomore running back played a massive role in Penn State’s win, as he ended the contest with 103 rushing yards on 20 carries.
With Martin slated to return for the 2026 college football season, Campbell’s run game is slowly beginning to solidify itself this offseason.
In addition to Martin, the Nittany Lions have also been linked to Louisville Cardinals' star running back Issac Brown, who has tallied 2,057 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in his past two seasons.