Penn State’s backfield took a hit this offseason when Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton moved on to the NFL, but the Nittany Lions added two new faces to help fill the gap: Carson Hansen from Iowa State and James Peoples from Ohio State.
Hansen is the more likely starter, but Peoples is the name that could end up giving Penn State a different kind of jolt. He arrived with a track record as a productive young back, and he’s already started turning heads in spring ball.
Peoples came out of San Antonio Veterans Memorial High as a four-star recruit, ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the eighth-best running back and the No. 115 player in the 2024 class. He wasn’t the biggest back on the board, but he produced like one.
In his best high school season, as a junior, he piled up 1,904 yards and 28 touchdowns. He averaged 10 yards per carry across his junior and senior seasons.
At Ohio State, Peoples spent two years in a backup role and never got a full featured workload, but the production he did put up showed why he drew interest in the portal. He logged 110 carries for 541 rushing yards, averaging 4.92 yards per attempt. He also showed enough as a receiver to add another layer to his game, catching 10 passes for 50 yards last season.
“We were really excited when the James Peoples situation came into play," Campbell said. "James we knew of, and as [Ohio State's] season ended and his name was going into the transfer portal, there was a lot of excitement from our end because we thought, 'Could we get a great complement to Carson?'
"... He has a really impressive build, but also has got that kind of ability to hit a home run anytime he touches the ball.
He's got great receiving ability. He's got the ability to be a great catcher out of the backfield.
He is physical enough to block on third down, and he's also a guy that can run inside and outside and has the ability to do really special things."
That versatility is part of what makes Peoples such an interesting fit. He’s expected to bring more of a big-play edge to the Penn State offense, while Hansen projects as the more physical, workhorse-style option. Peoples’ speed stood out during spring ball, and he’s the fastest back in the group who should see meaningful playing time.
Peoples said the role is still coming into focus, but the early signs have been encouraging.
“It's slowly unfolding,” Peoples said in April. “And I mean, not even just in the run game, but even in the pass game, and just how they're utilizing me around the field - I think it's gonna be a really exciting season.”
He also described the way his game has started to take shape since arriving in State College.
“The biggest strides I think I've taken is just being explosive, being the guy that the team needs, the offense needs to get this thing going,” Peoples said. “Being a running back here, [the offense] really dictates off of how you play.
I'm saying how to get the offense juice. I feel like, in that regard, I've been doing a good job.”
The first stretch after transferring wasn’t seamless, but Peoples said he found his footing as spring wore on.
“I feel like Week 1, everything was new for me,” Peoples said. “So I was really just out there, kind of new scheme - I was out there running, kind of used to how to get used to this offense.
I had to get used to the tempo and to the new adjustments. Now, Week 4, I think I'm really rolling, you know, being explosive and being impactful almost everywhere around the field.
And I just think my true ability is really starting to show now.”
For Peoples, one of the biggest changes has been how he’s approaching the work itself.
“Hard work. Hard work.
I mean, that's what we do,” Peoples said. “But I think just in the way guys respond to adversity, it’s bad play, good play.
Flip the page. Let's go, let's get back and let's do it better the next time.”
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