James Franklin swung for the fences. Penn State empowered him to do. Now, the Nittany Lions are on the verge of making perhaps the biggest move of the entire coaching cycle. Several sources tell FootballScoop that Penn State is working to finalize a deal with vaunted defensive coordinator Jim Knowles,

Nittany Lions coach James Franklin seeks to make a bold move, hiring the architect of the Buckeyes' championship defense.

The Nittany Lions are set to hire Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the same position, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. He has yet to officially sign a contract with PSU.

The former Ohio State and Oklahoma State defensive coordinator has reportedly accepted a job at Penn State, according to Griffin Media's Toby Rowland.

Jim Knowles has formally accepted a defensive coordinator job away from Ohio State, according to multiple reports.

“Reliable sources confirm that barring last second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State,” Rowland wrote. “He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly.”

With success comes pillaging and the Ohio State football program is working to fend off the vultures of college football after winning the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship. There have been reports of tampering with OSU’s wide receivers and NIL money,

Ryan Day is once again dealing with the consequences of success in college football after leading Ohio State to a national championship.