Penn State running backs coach Stan Drayton will leave the Lions for South Carolina

Penn State running backs coach Stan Drayton is officially taking the same job at South Carolina. His new contract, which also makes him assistant head coach for the offense with the Gamecocks, was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees governance committee on Thursday morning. It is not immediately clear whether Drayton elected to move on voluntarily or whether he received an offer to stay on Matt Campbell’s first staff. Either way, his tenure with the Nittany Lions is ending after just one season. It is unclear if he will coach in the Pinstripe Bowl. While it’s unlikely that he will, time will tell.

Drayton is the fourth on-field member of James Franklin’s 2025 staff to leave the program since the regular season ended. Ty Howle and Danny O’Brien have already followed him to Blacksburg to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Hokies, respectively. And, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is expected to have the same title with Tennessee. He, of course, would be replacing former Penn State assistant and now former Vols play caller Tim Banks.

As for Drayton, success has followed him everywhere he’s been. He will forever be part of the journey that led to Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen setting Penn State career records. Both were molded by Ja’Juan Seider, of course. But, Drayton had a role in pushing both above and beyond, too, in 2025.

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