A long offseason awaits Penn State football after a crushing loss in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. If the Nittany Lions had been able to hold onto their lead and win that game, they would have gotten a second crack at eventual national champion Ohio State, which beat Penn State by just a touchdown in the regular season.

It turns out that a spot in the title game isn't the only thing that Penn State lost to Notre Dame. After the season, running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider left the program to take the same position under Marcus Freeman with the Irish. Now, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have to find a replacement for one of their most experienced assistants.

Former Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys star DeMarco Murray has emerged as a top candidate for the job, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports. Murray has been the running backs coach at Oklahoma since 2020, but could now come take over a very talented room in Happy Valley.

“Multiple sources tell On3 that Oklahoma assistant DeMarco Murray and Penn State have been in communication about the Nittany Lions’ open running backs job,” Nakos wrote. “There is strong mutual interest between Murray and Penn State, sources said.”

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Murray was a star running back at Oklahoma and led the NFL in nearly every major rushing category on his way to First Team All Pro honors in 2014 with the Cowboys. He certainly has the experience to be a great running backs coach, and Franklin is hoping that he can bring that to Penn State's staff.

Money aside, Murray would have plenty of talent to work with if he does end up taking the Penn State job. Both of the Nittany Lions' star running backs, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, are stunningly returning to school next season alongside quarterback Drew Allar, giving Penn State the best returning backfield in college football.

Both Singleton and Allen eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in 2024 and are both just shy of 3,000 yards on the ground for their careers individually. With Murray in the room coaching them and Franklin unquestionably leaning on them a ton to generate offense for Penn State next season, they will both have a chance to creep up on the illustrious 4,000-yard career rushing mark.