True freshman running back praised by Penn State players, coaches after UCLA performance

A newcomer to the Penn State football program is starting to make a name for himself as the Nittany Lions near the midpoint of the season. True freshman running back Quinton Martin Jr. is earning praise from James Franklin and other members of the Nittany Lions locker room for his work during Saturday’s 27-11 win over UCLA.

Elevated to third on the depth chart due to Cam Wallace’s recent injury, Martin was thrust into action Saturday following the late scratch of star running back Nicholas Singleton from the lineup.

While Kaytron Allen carried most of the workload on the ground, Martin was a vital part of the Penn State passing attack out of the backfield, with three receptions for 18 yards on the day. More importantly, Martin saw an uptick in invaluable game reps.

“Obviously, not having a guy like Nick Singleton is significant, but it was a tremendous opportunity for Kaytron to get a few more touches,” James Franklin said after the game. “It was also a great opportunity to get Quinton in there. So, you know, it’s a really good opportunity for those two guys, and I think overall, we handled it well.”

Franklin’s comments echo similar praise he directed toward Quinton Martin and fellow true freshman running back Corey Smith earlier in the week.

“Quinton and Corey are doing really well,” Franklin said Wednesday. “Both are talented guys. They’re different than Nick and Kaytron; maybe, at some point, they’ll get to that size. I mean, Nick and Kaytron are both big, strong, powerful backs. They’re not that at this stage, but they’re still freshmen.

“But they do a really good job of making you miss. They’re both really good receivers out of the backfield. They’ve done some really good things.”

Warren: Martin “stepped up” for Penn State football vs. Bruins

© Grace Carella / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

The top-ranked running back in Pennsylvania for the 2024 recruiting cycle, Quinton Martin excelled on the high school field for his versatility on both sides of the football. On Saturday, we saw flashes of what many anticipate the dynamic former four-star will one day bring to Beaver Stadium regularly. 

Someone who knows about being an all-purpose weapon himself, Martin’s play against the Bruins also caught the attention of the Nittany Lions’ do-it-all tight end Tyler Warren.

“A guy I thought did really well today was Quinton Martin,” Warren said. “You know, he stepped in. He had to play a little bit today, and I thought he did really good in the opportunities where either he’s blocking or he had a few runs and a few catches. So I think that was a guy who stood out to me and really stepped up.”

With Singleton likely to return to the lineup for next week’s road trip to USC, we’ll see the role Martin plays in the Penn State offense moving forward. Already appearing in two games, the true freshman can appear in two more during the regular season and maintain his redshirt. 

“I mean, the challenge is, you know, Cam [Wallace] was our number three, right? So what you don’t want to do is, you got two guys [Martin and Smith] that could possibly redshirt,” James Franklin said on Wednesday. “If you’re going to use one of those guys as your number three, you want to make sure that they get enough reps that it makes it worthwhile.”

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