It could be that Quinton Martin Jr. has been hiding in plain sight at Penn State for longer than many fans realize.
Martin, a redshirt sophomore from Belle Vernon, was terrific in the Nittany Lions’ 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson in December at Yankee Stadium.
With PSU star running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton unavailable, Martin received his first carries of the 2025 season, running for a career-high 103 yards on 20 carries against Dabo Swinney’s defense.
Martin is now pushing for the No. 2 spot on the Lions’ 2026 running back depth chart behind Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen, who missed a 1,000-yard season in 2025 by 50 yards.
Ohio State transfer James Peoples is also a prime contender, and Cam Wallace is back for his fourth season.
Martin was one of the top players in Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class — along with current PSU guard Cooper Cousins — and he did run for a pair of touchdowns in the Lions’ 2024 spring game.
But it is that Clemson game that has fans, coach Matt Campbell and running backs coach Savon Huggins intrigued by Martin’s upside.
“The Pinstripe Bowl, I just made the most out of my opportunity,” Martin said Tuesday after PSU’s 10th practice of the spring.
“I didn’t get the ball, at all, in any game before that. I barely was on the field. I had special teams (duty) but that’s about it.”
Martin understands why he was largely overlooked last season, playing behind program greats Allen and Singleton. Allen left Penn State as the program’s all-time leading rusher.
“It was definitely hard,” Martin said of not getting any carries during the regular season.
“I would get frustrated, 100%. But at the end of the day, that’s a part of life, patience. I think sitting on the bench is your biggest motivator because you’re on the bench, you’re not playing, you’re not doing something that you’ve been doing your whole life.”
Martin added: “I took a step back, learned what I could and stayed patient until my time came.”
One of Martin’s major offseason goals is to get bigger.
The 6-foot-1 Martin is listed at 204 pounds on the Lions’ current roster but said he is much closer to 215 with Penn State heading into the final few spring practices.
“Right now, my dry weight, I’m 212,” Martin said. “Throughout the day, I’ll be 215, 216.”
Huggins, who spent the five previous seasons with Boston College’s running backs, said Martin’s approach to spring has been sound.
“The biggest thing, when I first got hired, was to really get to know each one of these young men,” Huggins said Tuesday of his running backs.
“Quinton and I set out some goals for himself, really find out what he does well (and) what are his gaps. So, that way we can really attack them.
“I think one big thing was his weight, making sure that he consistently gains the proper weight and being around the 215 range, and he’s incrementally making better eating choices. and his habits have been really, really good over the course of spring.
“So, it’s been encouraging to see.”
The former Belle Vernon star is looking forward to what lies ahead.
“I feel like I’ve been able to accomplish a lot (in spring),” Martin said. “I think I’ve taken a big step forward, just (playing) running back all-around. You know, getting more downhill, pad level, and just staying consistent.”