Nittany Lions coach James Franklin has said he wants to hire an expert in contracts and negotiations for the 'next generation' of college football.

Penn State has received plenty of praise over the past few weeks for retaining talent. Its latest move, hiring one of the nation's best defensive coordinators, has people buzzing.

I look forward to working with this tremendous staff and group of student-athletes and am ready to get to work,” Jim Knowles said in a written statement.

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

Former NFL MVP and quarterback Rich Gannon was high school teammates with new Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. He explains why James Franklin made a great hire.

Penn State has made a massive splash by hiring Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to take the same job with the Nittany Lions. He replaces Tom Allen, who left PSU to become Clemson’s defensive coordinator. Here are three thoughts on what Penn State hiring Knowles means moving forward.

However, Knowles wasn’t in attendance. About an hour later, reports surfaced that Knowles is leaving Ohio State to serve as Penn State’s next defensive coordinator. The move leaves Day searching for a replacement. Here’s who he might consider as he enters his seventh season as the Buckeyes' head coach.

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."

Ohio State football asked former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to not show up to the Buckeyes championship celebration.

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator said in an address to Penn State players that the Nittany Lions were 'everything' to him growing up