Baylor transfer RB John Lovett talks choosing Penn State

Penn State running back John Lovett joined the Nittany Lions this offseason as a grad transfer from Baylor. The New Jersey native said Penn State made the most sense because they’re “Running Back University.”

Lovett has joined a loaded running back room that features Noah Cain, Devyn Ford, Caziah Holmes and Keyvone Lee. Lovett has embraced the challenge in the fight for touches.

“Pffft, there’s so much talent,” he said in this piece by The Morning Call’s Rich Scarcella. “There’s a lot of talent. We all compete every day. We push each other. All that’s going to do is make everyone else better. The best man will win the job and the best man will help the team win games.”

John Lovett rushed for 1,803 yards in four seasons at Baylor. Lovett led the Bears in rushing all four seasons, even while missing three games last season with an injury.

The addition of Lovett gives the Nittany Lions four backs that have all been starters at one point in their careers. Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Sneider said it’s less of a dilemma and more of a luxury but there will be a tough decision ahead.

“Who do you go to? I always tell them you get what you earn,” Sneider said. “If a guy is clearly better than everybody else, he’s going to be the guy. If two guys are close, we gotta play them. If there’s another one close, we gotta play him. Remember 2019? We played four running backs. They all deserved to play. To me, that was the hardest job. By the grace of God, the kids made it work. This could be harder.”

Penn State head coach James Franklin stated last week that he’s looking to establish a three-back rotation.

Seider also spoke on the addition of Lovett and what he brings to the room

“He’s a three-down back,” Seider said. “I really can say that about the whole room. He’s proven. You can’t take experience away from a kid.”

Outside of John Lovett, the most intriguing back in the rotation might be third-year sophomore Noah Cain.

Cain returns in 2021 after going down with a broken foot on the first series of the opening game.

“It was very frustrating,” Cain said via Scarcella about the injury. “It was a low point because I was doing everything right. I was going hard at practice every day, handling my business in school, doing all the things Coach has asked me to do. “I just kept my faith strong. My mom, my dad, my family and my support system, they just kept me uprooted and encouraged me as well as the coaches and the training staff. It wasn’t easy at all coming back from this.”

As a freshman, Cain rushed for 443 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019.