Penn State’s RB room needed a ‘big brother.’ Why Minnesota transfer Trey Potts can be that and more

Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider knows his position is susceptible to injuries. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen endured the brunt of a 13-game schedule as freshmen, stayed healthy and combined for almost 2,000 yards last year.

Seider looked for a piece of wood on which to knock. He couldn’t find one while chatting with reporters outside Penn State’s team room inside the Lasch Building.

“We haven’t gotten beaten up as much, so hopefully we don’t,” Seider said. “But at least now you know you have someone who can win a game for you.”

That someone is Trey Potts, the Minnesota transfer and Williamsport native who will, at the very least, provide Penn State with cover if Singleton and/or Allen go down.

Potts wasn’t as splashy a transfer portal addition as Kent State wide receiver Dante Cephas, a Penn Hills grad. But when Potts committed and enrolled with the Nittany Lions, he filled a gaping hole in Seider’s running back room.

Seider wanted and needed a veteran presence. Caziah Holmes transferred to Florida State before last season. Devyn Ford, who landed at Notre Dame a few weeks ago, left the team in October to preserve his redshirt. And Keyvone Lee was injured during the regular season, was cleared to play in the Rose Bowl but didn’t and later transferred to Mississippi State.

Seider knew he had to convince an experienced back to come to Penn State, where Singleton and Allen were already established. Potts, who totaled nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns in 24 games at Minnesota, was a perfect fit.

“The most important thing is you want to have depth. Having a veteran guy, whether he’s one, two, three or four (on the depth chart), it gives you confidence as a coach,” Seider said. “He’s played in the Big Ten. He has game experience. He’s an older guy who can bring along the younger guys. And let’s be honest, even Nick and Kaytron are only gonna be a year removed. So it gives us an older guy with leadership who knows how to sit in the room when we’re not there and maybe he can take control and run a meeting if the other guys aren’t ready to do that. For us, it’s a win-win situation.”

For Potts, it’s an opportunity to come home. It was only a few years ago the 5-foot-9 tailback starred at Williamsport, rushing for 3,490 yards and 59 touchdowns. Potts wasn’t offered by Penn State and picked Minnesota over interest from Syracuse, Rutgers and Virginia.

In the same recruiting cycle, Penn State signed Ford and Noah Cain, a pair of four-star standouts who have transferred elsewhere. Now it’s Potts who has a chance to help Penn State reach its first College Football Playoff — and in the process, help build out Seider’s running back room.

“I think it’s going to be a good mixture,” Seider said. “I see Trey fitting in as an older guy. He’ll come in and blend in well with the guys. He picks things up fast, things he understands from being in college football for three years. If he embraces the role of being a big brother, we need it.”

There’s no doubt who will get the ball the majority of the time. Singleton was a breakout star last season with 1,061 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns and Big Ten freshman of the year honors. Allen was right there with him, putting up 867 yards and 10 touchdowns. But there was little insurance behind the dynamic duo.

There was a point in the season when walk-on Tank Smith was Penn State’s No. 3 tailback. If Penn State didn’t pick up a veteran out of the portal, Seider would have had to rely on 2023 signees Cameron Wallace or London Montgomery to fill that role.

Seider likes both players; he wouldn’t have signed them if he didn’t. But Montgomery is recovering from a torn ACL that forced him to miss his senior year at Scranton Prep. Wallace, a late addition to the class, was an overlooked prospect from Georgia.

“Cam is explosive. We might’ve stole one of these kids,” Seider said. “He’s got juice. Like, real juice. … I’m really excited about him.”

Seider isn’t going to hold back either Wallace or Montgomery, both of whom recently enrolled. He wants them to push for time as freshmen just like Singleton and Allen did. But Seider also knew going into this season that the running back room needed a player like Potts.

And he’s thankful Penn State got him.