What's the biggest question facing Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider entering spring practice?
Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider reportedly had many schools pursuing him this past offseason.
Instead of leaving, however, he decided to stay with the Nittany Lions.
It’s no secret that the rushing attack struggled last year. All of the blame cannot be laid at the feet of Seider and his players. But, some of it can be, and they are being counted on to fix what went wrong and perform better in 2022.
We’re counting down the days to spring practice by looking at one big question for each Penn State coach. Below, you’ll find links to similar stories on James Franklin, Mike Yurcich, Manny Diaz, and Stacy Collins.
Now, we’re taking a look at Seider.
The Seider file
It might seem hard to believe, but Seider is entering his fifth season at Penn State.
The Lions nabbed the ace recruiter of Sunshine State talent away from Florida before the 2018 season. Other schools have long wanted the Belle Glade, Fla., native, which is why he’s been adding titles over the last few seasons. He has been the run game coordinator/running backs coach since 2020. Now, he is the co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach.
Seider has put many of his former pupils into the NFL. He’s also routinely brought top-flight high school talent to State College. Last season was an anomaly, it appears, but the struggles can certainly not continue this fall. Penn State has too many good players and coaches for it to be endlessly unable to run the ball, which was the case a year ago.
What is the big question facing Penn State co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider this spring?
Simply put, how can spring practice help the run game be fixed by the time the Thursday night opener at Purdue rolls around?
Seider and Yurcich surely spent much of the offseason trying to diagnose what went wrong and the steps that must be taken so that history doesn’t repeat itself. A recent interview with The Athletic revealed as much.
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“I take a lot of pride in this,” Seider said. “One of the reasons why I’m excited to be back here is to fix a problem. … There’s times when we need to stick our foot in the ground and get vertical and get two yards. There’s times when we can press and have an opportunity to create a big play.
“Also, it’s our job as coaches to scheme it up better. … Those are things that we grind through right now trying to figure out what works, and we got a good idea. I’m really confident that we’re gonna be able to run the ball next year.”
Keyvone Lee returns in 2022 after rushing for a team-high 530 yards in 2021. He’ll lead the way, but returners Devyn Ford and Caziah Holmes will push him. So, too, will January enrollees Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
Penn State is not the only team to ever struggle with running the football. Seider is not the game’s first coach to ever have to figure out how to fix it, either. That said, to answer this question the way he, the rest of the team, and fans want it answered will require figuring out who the workhorse can be for the fall. Much of that discovery can take place this spring with all five potential options on campus and ready for practice to begin.
