Few positional rooms in college football lost more aggregate value than Penn State football’s running back room heading into the 2026-27 season.

Kaytron Allen, the program’s all-time leading rusher, departed for the NFL in April after being selected by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round. The Norfolk, Virginia, native finished his four seasons as the Nittany Lions’ all-time leading rusher with 4,180 yards and as the leader in rushing attempts with 769.

While it’s not irregular for a program to lose a back as productive as Allen to the NFL, Penn State lost two simultaneously.

Nick Singleton, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, made up the second half of Penn State’s two-headed monster that stabilized the backfield for the last four seasons. Singleton operated as the lightning to Allen’s thunder, the fire to Allen’s ice, the ground to Allen’s pound. Two different playstyles, two different beasts.

Singleton and Allen’s productivity and longevity in Happy Valley are rare, so what does Penn State’s running back unit look like immediately after their departure?

Projected Starters

Based on our observations from spring camp and the Blue-White scrimmage at the end of April, James Peoples and Carson Hansen look to hold the top two spots on the running back depth chart.

Peoples, who transferred from Ohio State in January, looked explosive but also bouncy, often opening up lanes during team period drills. He has a clear knack for catching passes out of the backfield as well. The former four-star recruit out of San Antonio posted 541 yards and five touchdowns on 110 carries in two seasons with the Buckeyes, while adding 48 yards on 11 catches.

Due to the crowded backfields in Columbus, Peoples has yet to prove himself capable of handling an extended workload, but with roughly 96% of Penn State’s 2025 rushing yard total coming from players no longer on the roster, he certainly will have his chances to take command of the unit here in Happy Valley.

However, Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen has extensive experience in offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s scheme, which could put him atop the depth chart come fall.

The 6’2″, 216-pounder spent three years with Mouser in Ames, accumulating 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns on 361 carries, making him the most productive back in the unit, even above Peoples. In 2025, the tough, downhill runner logged five games of 20-plus touches, showing he can handle a starting workload.

“He’s durable. He’s tough. He’s physical. He’s got great vision. He’s got the ability that if you need him to carry the ball 40 times in a game, he can do it,” head coach Matt Campbell said.

In 2025, the Cyclones divied out 188 carries to Hansen, 140 to Abu Sama II, and 25 to Dylan Lee. It remains to be seen whether the offensive staff uses a platoon or rides the hot hand with a bellcow-style approach, so regardless of who is announced on the enormous Jumbotron in Beaver Stadium as the “starter”, it is likely both the bouncy, elusive Peoples and the knifing, physical Hansen will split carries in a complementary rotation to begin the season.

Supporting Cast

Next in line are the unproven returners Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace.

Martin Jr. gave Penn State fans a sneak peek at his potential when the Nittany Lions clashed with Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl back in January. He carried the rock 20 times for a total of 103 yards during Penn State’s 22-10 victory.

But aside from that strong performance against the Tigers, the Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, native remains largely unproven, as he did not see any regular-season action in 2025. However, according to Campbell, Martin was asked to bulk up this off-season, going from 195 in February to 212 in the summer.

“He’s incrementally making better eating choices, and his habits have been really, really good over the course of spring,” running backs coach Savon Huggins said. “It’s been encouraging to see where he started to where he’s at in his level of consistency in his preparation.”

A spurt of physical development could make Martin a candidate for an increased snap share.

As for Wallace, his talent has flashed at times, like when he had a Saquon Barkley-like hurdle highlight against Nevada last year, but the redshirt junior simply hasn’t been able to stay on the field due to injuries.

Wallace has logged just 48 offensive snaps across his three years in Happy Valley, which has translated to 86 career yards on 24 carries. However, we cannot count out the Georgia native, since he technically secured the RB3 spot behind Singleton and Allen in 2024 before going down with season-ending lower-body injuries just three games into the year.

Development Pieces

Running back is one of the Nittany Lions’ shallower positions, keeping just five on the roster. This leaves true freshman D’Antae Sheffey as the last remaining member of the group and an obvious developmental piece.

The State College native will likely not see snaps in year one; however, it’s worth noting that he was listed at 5’11”, 180 pounds when he committed to Penn State in January. Now, according to the official Penn State roster page, he weighs 201 pounds. Considering how physical the running back position is, it’s a great sign that Sheffey has already bulked up before his first season, which will prepare him for increased reps in the event of injury.