12-02-2025
Another staff exit as Franklin confirms Seider's departure
UNIVERSITY PARK (NITTANY NATION) — Speaking for the first time since the Orange Bowl, Penn State head football coach James Franklin confirmed that running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider was leaving Happy Valley after seven seasons with the team.
'(He) did a great job for us, (I'm) very appreciative of Ja'Juan and his family,' Franklin said.
Penn State running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are returning in 2025
Seider has been tied to Notre Dame in various reports, though the Irish have not made a hire official. He joined the Nittany Lions in 2018. He's played a huge role in recruiting and developing top backs like Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Journey Brown and Miles Sanders.
Franklin said the biggest challenge is timing, but believes this is one of the best running back coach jobs in the nation.
'I would make the argument with Nick and Fat(Kaytron Allen) and the rest of the room coming back, and what we've recruited and, and who's committed to us out there. It's arguably the most attractive running back job in the country,' Franklin said.
Knowles wants to win it all at Penn State
Seider is the second staffer this month to leave Penn State. Last week recruiting coordinator Khalil Ahmad took a promotion to join Temple. Ahmad spent the better parts of two years with the team.
'(We) wish him well, but that creates a ton of work, as well. You know, the interview process, being as thorough as we possibly can with that while also understanding, in today's college football, the timing of it is, is really important as well,' said Franklin. '(There is) a lot of, uneasiness, and uncertainty from our current roster as well as recruits. So we want to be sensitive to that as well.'
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Seider and Ahmad's departures are the second and third this offseason after defensive coordinator Tom Allen left for the same role at Clemson following the season. Franklin hit a home run replacing Allen with Ohio State's Jim Knowles, a hire that's been universally applauded by the college football world. Knowles was introduced last week, Tuesday was the first Franklin had spoken on the hire.
'It was a twisting and turning process. You know, I think I got, call I think it was 5:40 in the morning, two days after the national championship And that's when I thought it may be real, may have a chance,' Franklin said. 'I've been at places in my career where you have a dream list and they're not really realistic. Your dream list at Penn State is realistic specifically now.'
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