The Lions247 team has its finger on the pulse of Penn State transfer portal news, recruiting, coaching staff moves and more after James Franklin's squad was eliminated in the semifinals of the College

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."

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is reportedly headed to Penn State to serve in the same role, and Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shared a message in response to the major news.

The Nittany Lions ended in the top five for the first time since 2005. It’s the first time the Big Ten has had three teams in the final top five. Ohio State was No. 1 and Oregon was No. 3.

Penn State received 1,203 points in the final AP Top 25 poll, just eight behind Texas for fourth. Ohio State was No. 1, followed by Notre Dame and Oregon. Penn State has finished in the AP top 10 five times in James Franklin's 11 seasons as head coach. Franklin's teams have seven top-20 finishes since 2016.

The Penn State football squad will host 2024 Big Ten champion Oregon and fellow 2024 College Football Playoff participant Indiana to highlight its 2025 schedule. This fall, the Nittany Lions will also entertain Nevada (Aug.

Ohio State won it all, but neither the Buckeyes nor their league mates produced any drama that could contend with No. 1 on this list.

The go-big hire of Ohio State's Jim Knowles signals a shift for Penn State football: Why it means so much now and later

Jim Knowles is expected to take the same position at Penn State, as first reported by Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The two sides are finalizing a three-year deal reportedly worth $3.1 million per season, making him the first college football coordinator to earn an annual salary of at least $3 million.

After he helped guide Ohio State to a national championship, Jim Knowles is finalizing a deal with Penn State to become the highest paid defensive coordinator in college football, ESPN reported Sunday. Knowles is set to make $3.1 million per season on a three-year deal to join the staff of Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin.

On Sunday, it was revealed that Jim Knowles, the now-ex-defensive coordinator for Ohio State, would depart for a lucrative deal to join coach James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions next fall.