From Michigan snagging Bryce Underwood to Carson Beck ditching Georgia for Miami, the 2024-25 season was pure player swap chaos. But like the players, some programs had to face big heartbreaks when it came to losing their coaches. And who knows about the pain better than Ryan Day’s Ohio State? They wrapped up the season lifting up the Natty. But this did not stop their defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, from hitting the exit doors. That’s when the Penn State head coach jumped at the opportunity and did not let the big chance slip away and brought Knowles home. The DC had his reasons for leaving Ohio State, and it worked out great for him, landing with his dream team. Funny how things go, though, because all this good news for one side seems to be happening while Knowles’ new team is facing some trouble.

Day and the Buckeyes are truly indebted to Knowles. Jim Knowles’ defense at Ohio State last year ranked No. 1 in points allowed per game (12.9), yards allowed per game (255), yards allowed per play (4.2), and red zone touchdown percentage (42%). But poor Buckeyes! They failed to keep him close. The reason? No one knows it better than Knowles, and the coach shared what made him take the drastic step in an interview with ESPN. He claimed he “would not have explored or considered other options” had Ohio State met his demands.

“Season’s over, everything coming to a head again quickly. Ohio State hasn’t come forward with a deal, and it’s like, OK, if I’m going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call.” 

While he still kept on living by the hope that Day got something great planned for him, he soon got clarity when he was asked not to come to the parade. “So then you’re like, ‘OK, honestly, the writing is on the wall.’ Now it becomes something…I hadn’t made any decisions.” While he was ready to compromise on his pockets by staying in Columbus, the universe had a grand plan for him. Penn State offered Knowles a $3.1 million annual salary that made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. But guess what? It’s not only about fattening the pockets. Being part of Penn State is something that Knowles has dreamed of since his childhood.

On the May 8th episode of Adam Breneman’s podcast, the coach poured his heart out. “To me having been in the profession aisle what stuck out to me is, I guess, old school.”

Franklin maintains a rhythm in Penn State following the 3 Cs: culture, connectivity, and communication. The head coach’s brilliance, paired with Knowles’ dream coming true, is what made him sign up for the Nittany Lions. “Being able to coach at the school that you were a fan of when you were a young boy and watching it on TV, just thinking that Penn State was great everything about college football, and aspiring to that level and never reaching it as a player and then being able to finally do it as a coach. It was a big deal to me.”

Knowles’ love for Penn State has been instilled by the people that surrounded him while he was growing up—plumbers, cops, and firemen. So, the program has become a part of his being. As Knowles concluded with a heartfelt promise. “I would really feel like I’m contributing to something that’s bigger than myself.” Now, will this be enough to catapult James Franklin’s program out of the looming trouble?      

Is Jim Knowles the gamechanger for the troubles looming in James Franklin’s squad?  

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is really high on Franklin’s program. So much so that he named the Nittany Lions as the best team entering the 2025 season. In 2024, Penn State went 8-1 in Big Ten conference play, taking home the conference title in the process and punching its ticket to the playoffs. But it turns out that the issue lies with Penn State’s head coach. The reason for concern? They’re having a hard time winning high-stakes matchups.

“They will beat the teams that they should beat. But what we haven’t seen from Penn State is them rise up and win the game that I would call a matchup game.” Klatt continued, “They will beat the teams that they should beat. But what we haven’t seen from Penn State is them rise up and win the game that I would call a matchup game.” Going by the numbers, Franklin has gone 4-20 against ranked teams in the AP Top 10 during his time. However, turns out that the head coach might get the guidance from the best, Knowles.

James Franklin sounded too confident about Jim Knowles. “He is thorough; he is detailed to the point where I think he’s very comfortable on the field, letting the coaches coach. But from a big-picture perspective, he sees it all. He’s got a very good understanding of what he wants it to look like and how it’s all supposed to fit together. I’ve been very impressed with how it’s gone so far.” And in case Knowles’ words fail to reassure the Nittany Lions, they can resort to history. Not to forget, he was the one who polished the ‘Silver Bullets’ into the nation’s best defense (12.9 points per game). Knowles could be the missing spark in Franklin’s long-awaited Natty push.