Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider catches a ball during warmups before facing West Virginia at Beaver Stadium in 2023. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported a surprising piece of coaching news Sunday. According to Thamel, Notre Dame is "targeting" Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider to join its offensive staff. Seider has been at Penn State for seven seasons, serving as running backs coach, co-offensive coordinator and run-game coordinator. Seider has been instrumental in recruiting, developing and retaining running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, both of whom are returning for the 2025 season.
Seider's departure would be stunning for an offense that returns its quarterback, two 1,000-yard rushers, five offensive linemen with starting experience and its offensive coordinator. Seider has been approached for other jobs multiple times over the past few years, and was pitched as a potential candidate for the open West Virginia head-coaching job in December, but always remained at Penn State. He has discussed his decision to stay with the Nittany Lions on multiple occasions as well.
Seider has expressed how rooted he feels at Penn State and how much he wants to become a head coach. Asked last season why he has stayed at Penn State, Seider said "things would just have to make sense" for him to leave.
"You know, it's got to make sense for growth," Seider said. "Really, that's it. I mean, you don't just leave Penn State to go to a job that doesn't help you reach your end goals. I want to be a head coach. Let's not sugarcoat it. But it's not a failure if I don't. ... I love the people that I work with. We've got a great group, and it doesn't get much better than playing here at Penn State. So it's got to make sense, not just for me but for my family and for our upward mobility."
Seider has been instrumental in retaining both Singleton and Allen for a fourth season at Penn State. Both backs rushed for 1,000 yards last season as part of a rotation that Seider said benefitted both backs, not only in college but also for their futures in the NFL.
"It wasn't easy, because we all know that people were calling these kids behind closed doors and trying to play one against the other," Seider said of retaining both Singleton and Allen. "But it says a lot about who they are as men and how loyal they are. ... I knew some things were going on. There's not a secret out there that I don't talk to those guys about, because they know I've got their best interests at heart. There's nobody who's going to fight for them more than I am. I'm going to take the heat for them."
Penn State's season ended to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. After the game, Seider stood in the locker room and discussed the team's future.
"I think this is the first part of getting over the hump, winning these types of games," Seider said. "We need to finish at the end. We were so close. We say we can't let bad ball beat us and it caught up to us at the end. ... We've got a lot of kids coming back, especially up front. We have got a lot of the makings to be as good or better next year, at least on offense."
A member of Penn State's recruiting staff is headed to Temple for a promotion. Khalil Ahmad, a recruiting coordinator for personnel and recruitment, will join Temple's staff in a "high-ranking front office capacity," according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.
Ahmad has worked at Penn State, Rutgers and Syracuse in personnel roles. He was a key member of Penn State's recruiting staff, helping the program land 5-star offensive lineman Malachi Goodman in the 2025 recruiting class.
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