Assessing the quality of the Penn State football running backs room he joined this offseason, transfer John Lovett went the self-deprecating route.
“It’s been really exciting. I’ve met tons of great people. This team is filled with great leaders and everything,” Lovett said. “So I come in and I’m like, ‘Do they even need me?’
“But no, this team is filled with leaders and everybody in here are great people, great teammates, always here to pick one another up.”
Coming to the Nittany Lions from Baylor via the transfer portal in January, Lovett has a track record of success at the collegiate level.
RELATED: Penn State Football Transfer Round-Up: RB John Lovett
RELATED: Looking to rediscover running game's spark, Penn State turns to John Lovett
The Bears’ No. 16-ranked all-time leading rusher with 1,803 yards, Lovett immediately contributed as a true freshman and found himself a part of 42 games through his four years in Waco, Texas. And among those seasons, Lovett notched 20 starts.
Maybe just as important as his on-field contributions, though, Lovett also established himself as a culture-driver for the Bears. Signified by his ownership of the No. 7 jersey through all four years at Baylor, a single-digit tradition “to reward players based on work ethic, leadership, and devotion to their teammates” started by former coach Matt Rhule, Lovett’s maturity and leadership has carried over to his months-long stint with the Nittany Lions.
Cited as having a unique personality by other running backs in the room, when asked to describe Lovett’s influence on the program since January, the likes of Devyn Ford, Caziah Holmes, and Keyvone Lee all immediately pointed to the wealth of experience immediately infused into the position group through the addition.
“J-Love is a great guy and he comes to the room with the knowledge that he has about the position itself. He comes with a lot of knowledge, power, everything, so when you try to ask him questions, he knows what’s going on,” Ford said. “And me still going through my growth periods and him already being there, it’s nice to ask an older guy what’s going on and how it’s supposed to be done, and he does that for the whole room.”
Coming from Ford, a veteran himself after a 2020 sophomore campaign in which he made five starts thanks to the sudden losses of Journey Brown and Noah Cain, the sounding board has been a benefit as he attempts to build on his 67 carries for 274 yards and three touchdowns. But for Holmes and Lee, each coming off true freshman seasons highlighted by Lee’s team-high 438 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries and Holmes’ 51 carries for 227 yards and two scores, Lovett’s influence has led to specific opportunities for improvement through the offseason.
“He’s an old head, so he came in and taught me a lot,” Lee said. “He knows things I need to know like reading coverages, the safety rotation, pass blocking. He knows all that, so he’s been a very valuable addition to the room.”
Wondering aloud his value added to a running backs room already stacked with talent and competition vying for a finite set of opportunities, a self-assessment of Lovett’s game suggests he’ll be very much a part of the conversation for carries this season.
Described as a “versatile home-run-hitter” by those who covered Lovett at Baylor, early indicators are that the same qualities have held through the move to Penn State. And though the room’s climate of healthy competition and cooperation has created a culture Nittany Lions’ head coach James Franklin has frequently praised, even the humble and circumspect Lovett could acknowledge the potential differentiator he brings to the table in the program.
“(I’m the) same as them, big, strong, fast,” Lovett said when comparing himself to his talented running back teammates. “Me, I just have experience. They have experience too, but this is my fifth season. The game has just slowed down for me now.”
*******
• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated
• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98, @GregPickel, @ThomasFrankCarr
• Follow us on Instagram
• Like us on Facebook
