Quinton Martin Seizes the Spotlight in Pinstripe Bowl Breakout
Heading into the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, Quinton Martin Jr. was a name tucked deep in the Penn State depth chart. Through nearly 30 games in a Nittany Lions uniform, the redshirt freshman had logged just 13 carries for 32 yards-all of them coming in low-leverage situations. In fact, he hadn’t touched the ball on offense in over a year, dating back to Penn State’s December 2024 playoff win over SMU.
But on Saturday night in the Bronx, Martin wasn’t just back in the offensive mix-he was the engine of it. By the final whistle of a 22-10 win over Clemson, he’d turned a quiet career into a loud statement.
“I’ve got all the respect in the world for Quinton for biding his time and putting on a performance like that,” said quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who watched Martin rush 20 times for 101 yards and pick up six first downs-three of them coming on third down.
It was a physical, downhill brand of running that Penn State leaned on heavily in the second half. Martin carried the ball 16 times after the break, averaging over five yards per carry on the night. His four runs of nine yards or more kept Clemson’s defense on its heels and gave the Nittany Lions the kind of offensive rhythm they’d been searching for.
“You all saw how physical he was, how violent he was,” Grunkemeyer added. “While still maintaining the best part of his game in how shifty he was.”
Interim head coach Terry Smith echoed that sentiment, praising Martin’s ability to rise to the moment when called upon.
“We really leaned on him in the second half, and he answered the call,” Smith said. “He was downhill running all night, and he was big-time for us.”
This wasn’t just a breakout performance-it was a long time coming. Martin had spent the entire season working on special teams while watching veterans Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton handle the offensive load. Neither of them had missed a game since arriving in 2022, and no other running back had logged a single carry in Big Ten play this season.
Saturday’s game marked the first time in two years that Penn State’s backfield didn’t include at least one of them. With both stars stepping aside to begin NFL Draft prep, the door finally opened-and Martin charged through it.
“I’ve been waiting two years behind Nick and Kaytron,” Martin said. “Learned a lot from them.
They showed me a lot about the game, what you need to play at this level. So the game I had means a lot to me, and I’m very grateful for it.”
Initially, it looked like fellow redshirt freshman Corey Smith would get the first crack. Smith started the game and took nine carries for just 17 yards in the first half. But as the offense shifted gears after halftime, it was Martin who took center stage-literally getting the ball on each of Penn State’s first three plays of the second half and moving the chains in the process.
“I told you guys, we’re going to continue to run the football,” Terry Smith said. “We just took an old-school approach, and he stepped to the challenge.”
Martin admitted he didn’t expect to carry the ball 20 times, but his mindset was simple: effort, execution, and helping the team.
“My mentality coming into this game was just effort,” he said. “Play the best that I can, go help my teammates and be great.”
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Martin has always been a high-upside athlete. A four-star prospect out of Belle Vernon High School in Pennsylvania, he was one of Penn State’s earliest targets in the 2024 recruiting cycle. His versatility drew interest from programs as a wide receiver and defensive back, but Penn State saw a future at running back-and Saturday night finally offered a glimpse of what that could look like.
“Q is an extremely talented young man,” Terry Smith said. “He’s a tall, lean guy, and a slasher.
Today’s game required downhill running. He displayed that, displayed tough running.
He showed a side that he could be a slasher and a physical back, all in one game. I’m super proud of him.”
Of course, the big question now is what comes next.
Martin didn’t commit to anything postgame, saying he’ll talk with his family and “see where the Lord takes me.” With the transfer portal open and Penn State’s running back room in flux, the possibility of a move is on the table. But so is a return-especially with a new head coach in Matt Campbell, whom Martin has yet to meet one-on-one.
“I got the opportunity to listen to him speak, and I really like him,” Martin said. “I like what he’s about.
I like his culture. I’m looking forward to speaking with him.”
There’s also the matter of the running backs coach vacancy. Stan Drayton, who held the role this season, is heading to South Carolina.
That leaves a key piece of Martin’s development up in the air. Still, he pointed to Terry Smith’s continued presence on staff as a major plus.
“I love Coach Terry,” Martin said. “He recruited me in high school a lot.
He came down to school and talked to me a ton, on the phone a ton. I love Terry.
He’s like family, he’s like an uncle.”
Whether Martin stays or goes, what he showed in the Pinstripe Bowl was more than just a flash-it was a reminder of what patience, preparation, and opportunity can produce. He ran with vision, decisiveness, and power, showing the kind of traits that could anchor a backfield in the years to come.
“I really thought I was getting into the groove running downhill, being very decisive with my runs,” Martin said. “The game of football is about how many times you can get hit and keep going. So for me to be able to take that contact and get up and just keep being decisive and running downhill and doing everything I can for my team, it meant a lot.”
Martin’s performance wasn’t just noticed-it was respected. Teammates like Grunkemeyer saw the growth firsthand.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth from Q,” the quarterback said. “I think this whole season has been a huge learning moment for him.”
With Allen and Singleton moving on, Penn State’s running back room is wide open. Five scholarship backs remain on the roster, none with 200 career rushing yards. The staff is expected to explore the portal, but after Saturday, they may not need to look far for their next lead back.
Martin’s high school résumé speaks for itself-he powered Belle Vernon to a PIAA 3A state title with over 1,100 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, plus 53 catches for 764 yards and 11 more scores. He enrolled early in January 2024. It’s taken time, but the talent has always been there.
Now, with one breakout performance in the books, the next chapter in Martin’s Penn State story-or wherever it may continue-suddenly feels a lot more promising.