The Penn State football underclassmen running backs had a significant opportunity during the Blue-White Game on Saturday. Kaytron Allen was seen in street clothes, and Nick Singleton, although he was dressed, did not participate. This left an opening for true freshman Quinton Martin and redshirt freshman Cam Wallace and both players took advantage of their reps Saturday afternoon. Following the game, James Franklin commented on the Nittany Lion rushing attack from the Blue-White Game.
Freshman RBs flash in Penn State football debut
Quinton Martin was a highly recruited prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. A four-star prospect according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Martin finished as the No. 5 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 4 athlete in the 2024 cycle.
On Saturday, we saw Quinton Martin take the field for the first team representing the Penn State football team. Martin scored the lone touchdown in the first half on a 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, He finished the day with 34 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
After the game, James Franklin expressed that he was impressed with Martin’s progress this spring, although his sample size was limited.
“You guys don’t get to see this all the time, but he has some bumps and bruises, so he missed a decent amount of time this spring. So I don’t have a true evaluation,” Franklin said. “What I will tell you is, he’s an awesome kid. He’s learned the offense really well. I do think he’s got really good vision. But I think between now and West Virginia, he’s got a lot of work to do, and I think he’ll do it. I think he’ll have a chance to be competing to be in that rotation in training camp.”
Cam Wallace shines in his first game action
Cam Wallace was a three-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He redshirted last season, but that does not mean 2023 was a waste for Wallace. During the Blue-White Game on Saturday, he showed the results of his hard work from his redshirt season and this past offseason.
Wallace flashed with the ball in his hands and finished with 36 rushing yards on 7 carries. He also added one reception for 6 yards as well.
“Cam, I thought, had a really good spring as well, and was out there more to be evaluated,” James Franklin said of the Georgia native. “That’s one of these things that all of our guys got to understand. The number one ability in football is availability. They got to be out there to be developed every single day, and they got to be out there to be evaluated every single day.
“So, I would’ve liked to see more out of him, but I do think there was a foundation that’s been laid with him that will allow him to make significant progress this summer and be able to go into training camp and legitimately compete.”
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