The 59-year-old Knowles reportedly is signing a three-year contract worth more than $9 million, which makes him the highest-paid coordinator in the country. His hiring, which became official Monday morning, is the clearest sign that Penn State and Franklin are all in for the 2025 season.

Penn State’s post-Orange Bowl locker room was a sight for sore eyes. Between the tears, yelling or thousand-yard stares, it was clear the 2024 team felt it was capable of winning a national championship.

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel is a preseason Penn State believer, placing the Nittany Lions atop his too-early top 25 for 2025. "I'm skeptical they can actually pull it off," Mandel writes, "but on paper, James Franklin's team deserves that status given how many players are returning."

Rising senior Liam Clifford is the leading returning receiver with 18 catches for 286 yards and one touchdown in 2024. And for Allar to have enough weapons to threaten things down field, Penn State could certainly use more options at the position via the spring window (April 16-25).

Penn State had a plenty successful 2024 season, finishing out with a narrow loss to national runner-up Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions came away with a No. 5 ranking in the final AP Poll, the highest in James Franklin’s 11 years at the helm.

The Nittany Lions return a high volume of talent from their 2024 roster — just as Michigan and Ohio State did to win titles.

Will Abdul Carter play in Orange Bowl?James Franklin gives an update on Penn State football edge rusher Abdul Carter Penn State coach James Franklin said at halftime that Notre Dame had a strong ...

On Wednesday night, Evans found a new home in the transfer portal as he committed to the Washington Huskies, per Hayes Fawcett of On3 . Evans quoted Fawcett's post with a caption that read, "Hei5man run."

The Nittany Lions are hiring Tom Knowles, who served as defensive coordinator for the national champion Buckeyes.

Football Scoop, a web site that specializes in coaching news reported that Penn State has offered more than $3 million to lure Jim Knowles from Columbus to State College. Rumors of Knowles leaving the Buckeyes for Oklahoma began before the national championship,

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has jumped ship after three seasons, signing a historic $9.3 million deal with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

When it comes to recruiting, James Franklin rarely takes a backseat. He proved that again Sunday when he lured Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, to Penn State. Of course, money helped.