The message from Jim Knowles, the head of Penn State poaching, is that James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are prepared to take action

CBS Sports

Penn State poached Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles over the weekend.
The fact he did so by making what’s considered a lateral move at best to Penn State surely raised an eyebrow or fifty.
New coordinators with big names are nothing new at Penn State.
Since then, he’s been the defensive coordinator at Duke and Oklahoma State before taking the Ohio State job.
Jim Knowles contract: New Penn State defensive coordinator can eclipse $4 million with lucrative bonuses Dennis Dodd While Ohio State will reload on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, Penn State has plenty of returning talent.

POSITIVE

Since 2016, James Franklin has defeated Ohio State for the first time.

Over the weekend, Jim Knowles, the defensive coordinator at Ohio State, was acquired by Penn State. As Ryan Day and the Buckeyes were busy throwing a party at Ohio Stadium to celebrate winning their first national championship in a decade, Knowles was putting pen to paper and agreeing to a deal with Penn State that would pay him over $3 million a year.

It wasn’t shocking that Knowles left Ohio State. His name had been linked to other prominent defensive coordinator positions, like those at Oklahoma, and many were speculating that Knowles was trying to leave because of rumors that he didn’t get along with Day or Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson. His decision to transfer to Penn State, which is at best regarded as a lateral move, undoubtedly caused some eyebrows to raise.

It’s hard to argue that this isn’t a big victory for Penn State and a serious declaration of intent, regardless of whether you saw it coming.

Big-name new coordinators are nothing new at Penn State. James Franklin seems to have to switch up his coordinators each offseason. It’s usually because it hasn’t worked when it comes to offense. In defense, it’s because schools are hiring his man elsewhere. Following the 2021 season, Brent Pry, who had served as defensive coordinator for six seasons, was hired by Virginia Tech. Manny Diaz took his place, and after two seasons, he was hired as Duke’s head coach. Before accepting the same position at Clemson a few weeks ago, Tom Allen played for the Lions during the 2024 season.

What’s different is that Franklin didn’t hire any of those former names away from a direct rival, and he most definitely didn’t do it while that rival was still cleaning up after winning a national championship.

The only head coaching experience Knowles had was six seasons at Cornell, his alma mater. Before accepting the position at Ohio State, he served as defensive coordinator at Duke and Oklahoma State. He may not be well-known, but he has long been regarded by other coaches as one of the best defensive minds in the game. He also assisted in turning around an Ohio State defense that had always had plenty of talent but was struggling under Kerry Coombs.

The new defensive coordinator at Penn State, Jim Knowles, has a contract worth over $4 million, including generous bonuses.

Donald Dodd.

In 2025, Penn State will have a wealth of returning talent, while Ohio State will rebuild on the defensive end. While it will be challenging to replace Abdul Carter, players like Dominic DeLuca, Zane Durant, Smith Vilbert, Dani Dennis-Sutton, and many others are returning without the NFL Draft. In terms of offense, Penn State has persuaded Drew Allar and its two-headed monster of a running back, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, to return.

The kind of roster retention that helped the Buckeyes win a national championship is similar to what occurred at Ohio State during the previous offseason, if any of this sounds familiar.

It is the reason this hire is so intriguing. The Nittany Lions’ 2024 season was a little bittersweet. On the one hand, the program experienced its first College Football Playoff appearance and won two postseason games. However, the season also saw a loss to Ohio State, and even though the Lions advanced to the semifinals, they fell short against Notre Dame, continuing James Franklin’s dismal run against top-five opponents. The type of competition that national titles require you to defeat.

scroll to top