Treyson Potts (3) ran for more than 2,000 yards as a sophomore at Williamsport and spent the past four years at Minnesota before entering the transfer portal this offseason.
Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader
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Injuries may have cost Treyson Potts a chance at landing at Penn State the first time around.
Now in the transfer portal, the former Wyoming Valley Conference standout from Williamsport is set to give a much-needed boost to the Nittany Lions’ depth at running back.
Potts announced Wednesday night that he was set to transfer to Penn State after four years at Minnesota.
“Coming home, We Are!” Potts posted on social media along with a commitment graphic provided by Penn State.
Potts made his name known as a Division I recruit as a sophomore at Williamsport in 2016, a year in which he topped 2,000 yards rushing and scored 34 touchdowns.
But he missed all of his junior season with the Millionaires because of an injury and then had his senior season cut short as well before signing with the Golden Gophers.
After redshirting in 2019, Potts amassed 1,147 yards and 10 touchdowns over the next three seasons at Minnesota. He played last season at Beaver Stadium against the Lions as a backup for workhorse Mohamed Ibrahim.
Potts will be set to fill a similar role at Penn State behind young stars Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen while providing a veteran safety net behind them.
The Lions are going through spring practice with Singleton, a Freshman All-America selection, and Allen as the only two scholarship running backs on the roster.
Scranton Prep’s London Montgomery and Cameron Wallace signed with the Lions in December and are set to join the team in the summer. Montgomery is coming off of knee surgery that cost him his senior year.
Potts figures to give the Lions a buffer that had disappeared into the transfer portal.
The quick emergence of Singleton and Allen as standouts ultimately led to departures of three other scholarship backs in Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford and Caziah Holmes since last summer.
Lack of depth was an issue to manage for coach James Franklin and his staff during spring ball, being careful not to risk injuries for his two rising sophomores over the past month.
“Whether the third back comes from who we currently have in the program or whether the third back comes from an incoming freshman, that’s what we gotta figure out between this spring and then summer camp as well,” Franklin said. “(It’s) for depth but also to make sure that we’re not overworking those two guys either.”