It’s a new era of elite defenses at Penn State. James Franklin’s defense is going to be practically unbreakable, with new DC Jim Knowles in charge. He came to the program after leading OSU to its national championship win, defeating Notre Dame with a score of 34-23. His defense, which ranked No. 1 in the country, locked horns with No. 3 ranked defense. “He’s a football genius,” former WR Julian Fleming said. Though his time at OSU ended on an uncomfortable note, it seems like Penn State was where Jim Knowles always belonged. He grew up in Philadelphia and also became a Penn State fan along the way, so the job was more or less Knowles coming home.

In the wee hours of the night after the championship game, Franklin got a call about Knowles’ situation at OSU. The HC struck a literal pot of gold with this opportunity. “That’s when I thought it may be real,” Franklin said. “That we may have a chance.” Knowles replaced the formidable Tom Allen, and it seemed like a smooth transition from the get-go. Within a month, he was able to “install” about 50%-60% of his learning system in the program. Knowles is tasked with rebuilding the defense, now that a lot of its former members have left the program. After spring ball, it looks like Penn State and Knowles were a match meant to be.

He told Adam Breneman about the things that hit home with him at Penn State. “What stuck out to me is old school,” he said. Knowles also added that “[the] way that Coach Franklin operates the program with culture and connectivity, and caring about people and being involved in all aspects of the organization” also resonated deep within him. The culture at Penn State is unlike that of other programs. Franklin has never won a National Championship title, despite being with PSU for 10 years. The culture here is strong, and yet easy-going. “It seems like a real community of people working together,” he added further.

Knowles left OSU after his contract was not extended. He raised his fee and began negotiations just before the National Championship game. The bond between him and Ryan Day soured because Knowles was barred from joining the championship parade celebrations. “I hadn’t made any decisions, but you just kind of feel like — I wouldn’t say I’m not wanted here — but you just feel like, OK, now it’s gotten awkward,” Knowles said about what made him move from Ohio State. Apart from that, the DC also had ideological differences with the longstanding D-line coach Larry Johnson. Knowles wanted a 3-personnel defensive line with more backing in the linebacker and secondary. Johnson, on the other hand, wanted more bodies in his unit.

The DC’s salary at Penn State makes him the highest-paid assistant coach in CFB. Day’s loss is Franklin’s gain, which even stands to dictate how their schedules will turn out. At Penn State, Franklin is zeroed in on creating an even better defense out of an already elite one. And for that, the DC is going full steam ahead.

Jim Knowles sends a strong message about building defenses

It takes quite some time for transitions like this to smooth out, without any wrinkles. Players and existing staff need time to adjust to the new information that will come their way. But the players at Penn State are understanding this notion well, allowing Knowles to focus his work on creating another elite defense for the program.

When Breneman asked what his strategy was, he said, “You have to be able to stop everything. You have to have answers for everything, you know. There’s no more of, ‘Oh, we can just focus on this or that, tight spread, whatever. You have to have answers in your system for all of it.” Knowles wants to be ready for all kinds of offenses, and that’s a reason why he was able to stick around for so long. “There’s so much variety out there,” he added.

Right after his arrival on campus, Knowles had his work cut out for him. The linebacker room needed some strong starters, as did the Defensive Tackle room. He also had to find a No. 2 pass rusher because Dani Dennis-Sutton, who previously took on that role, will move up and fill in for Abdul Carter. The roster looks set for now, but Franklin and Knowles are still looking for more packing for the linebacker and DT rooms. And so far, it looks like the new defense is shaping itself into being Knowles’. “I’m able to blend more concepts than just throw everything out and start over,” he told ESPN. “When you come into a defense that’s been pretty good, there’s a culture here. And I feel like coach Franklin has built that.”

James Franklin saw a miracle coming true when Jim Knowles chose Penn State as his new home in his career. Given their defensive geniuses, there are no limits to how strong their defenses can turn out to be this season. OSU’s defense dominated last season. No. 1 in points allowed (12.9), yards per game (255), yards per play (4.2), and red zone TD rate (42%). That’s what makes his move to a Big Ten rival so stunning after winning a national title. Can Jim Knowkes be the missing piece Franklin needs to finally realize his dream of winning a National Championship?