Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame prepares to hire Penn State assistant Ja'Juan Seider as RB coach

Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman is allegedly set to hire Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider to replace Deland McCullough, who left for the Las Vegas Raiders. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported Notre Dame’s interest on Sunday, and a source confirmed the imminent hiring to Inside ND Sports.

Seider brings 15 years of experience coaching running backs at the college level, with previous stops at Penn State, Florida, West Virginia and Marshall. Last season, he guided one of the nation’s top backfield duos in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Allen tallied 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns on 220 carries, while Singleton added 1,099 yards and 12 scores on 172 attempts.

Widely regarded as an elite recruiter, Seider has leveraged his deep Florida connections to boost Penn State’s talent pipeline. At Notre Dame, he’ll work with a promising group led by Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams. Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, Price recorded 746 yards and seven scores, and Williams contributed 219 yards and two touchdowns.

Recruiting expert Tom Lemming praised the move, saying Notre Dame “is not missing a beat” with Seider’s hire, calling him an “excellent coach and recruiter.” Rivals analyst Adam Friedman believes Seider will bring fresh ideas to enhance Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame’s ground game.

Marcus Freeman faces setback as Texas Tech GM rejects Notre Dame offer

Texas Tech general manager James Blanchard has turned down Notre Dame’s offer to take on the same role in South Bend. Instead, he has committed to the Red Raiders, signing a new three-year contract worth $1.575 million, securing his position through the 2027 season, The Athletic reported.

Blanchard’s decision comes despite multiple conversations with Notre Dame and a visit to South Bend for in-person discussions. HC Marcus Freeman had aggressively pursued him to replace Chad Bowden, who recently left for USC. However, Blanchard has opted to stay in Lubbock, solidifying Texas Tech’s front office stability while leaving Notre Dame to continue its search.