Former Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples is expected to come onto the scene hot with his new team this coming fall, dominating in non-conference play and being a major talking point heading into Big Ten play.
James Peoples, who committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions in January, was predicted to dominate the Marshall Thundering Herd, Temple Owls, and Buffalo Bulls in Happy Valley this September. Specifically, Lions247's Tyler Donohue believes Peoples will do "special things" against the Group of 6 programs.
"Peoples could make a lot of noise in a hurry. I wouldn't be surprised if, by the time we get to Big Ten action, people are paying more attention to this guy because he did some special things in non-conference play," Donohue said.
James Peoples predicted to be a star at Penn State
Beyond beating Marshall, Temple, and SUNY Buffalo into the ground, Peoples is predicted to break out in a big way all season. CBS Sports' John Talty claimed the talent is there for Peoples to be the RB1 in State College, PA, that he couldn't be in Columbus.
"Headed into the 2025 season, James Peoples looked poised to be the guy in Ohio State's run game. Peoples was expected to be the first option on first and second downs for the Buckeyes, but it never quite materialized that way. Bo Jackson wrestled away the job, rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman, and Peoples hit the portal. He landed at Penn State, where he should have a good opportunity to be a primary rushing option for a Big Ten program. The talent is there -- Ohio State folks were very high on him preseason -- and he averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 61 attempts," Talty wrote.
Clearly, Peoples playing alongside Kaytron Allen is more inspiring to the masses than being the RB3 to Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. The Buckeyes passed Peoples by, whereas Penn State needs the hope of another Ohio State transfer bringing hope to the Nittany Lions.
Matt Campbell, Taylor Mouser, and Rocco Becht just need to put Peoples in a position to succeed, which is far easier said than done against Big Ten defenses.