Penn State lands transfer portal commitment from Ohio State RB James Peoples

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Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples (20) runs the ball in the second half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.

Griffin McVeigh

Wed, Jan 7, 2026 ·

2 min read

James Peoples is moving across the Big Ten to play for a first-year head coach. The now-former Ohio State running back will spend the 2026 season with the Penn State Nittany Lions , On3 has learned.

Peoples saw his role increase as a sophomore for Ohio State, receiving 61 carries compared to his 49 in 2024. Production took a nice tick up as well, going for career highs with 344 rushing yards and three touchdowns. A little bit of work got done out of the backfield too, thanks to five receptions for 50 yards.

However, the last three games did not see People record any kind of offensive statistic. Between the Michigan win, the Big Ten Championship vs. Indiana , and Ohio State’s College Football Playoff loss to Miami , Peoples had no carries. His lone contribution came in the Cotton Bowl, taking a kickoff out for 18 yards.

New head coach Matt Campbell is looking to immediately flip the roster to find some kind of success in 2026. Plenty of people associated with Iowa State will be making the move to Happy Valley with him. One of those imports is another running back, Carson Hansen .

But somebody like Peoples has an opportunity to flourish in a new environment. Just look at his recruiting rankings.

Peoples played high school football at San Antonio (TX) Veterans Memorial, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 119 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle , according to the Rivals Industry Ranking , a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Surprisingly, there will be no head-to-head matchup between People’s new and old teams. Penn State does not have Ohio State on the schedule for 2026 or even 2027. We will not see what has turned into a great matchup for the Big Ten until Peoples is likely out of school.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire . The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Campbell is likely far from finished when it comes to the transfer portal. More roster building will take place over the coming days and even weeks. Penn State moved on from James Franklin to find a little extra something. Thus far, it would be difficult for fans of the Nittany Lions not to be impressed with what’s going on.