The clock is ticking on James Franklin’s tenure in Happy Valley! Penn State is locked and loaded for 2025. And they better be because this could be their best shot at finishing what they started last season. After a close National Championship run, they shelled out big bucks for big hires. This season? It’s going to be a boom or bust. And Athletic Director Pat Kraft is already exposing his plans for the Nittany Lions HC in subtle ways if things don’t go according to plan. 

State of State’s Tom Hannifan made an appearance on College Football Addiction on February 5 to voice out the expectations on James Franklin. The reason behind Penn State’s blockbuster hiring of former Ohio State’s DC Jim Knowles is obvious. As the CFB insider said of Pat Kraft’s intentions, “The thought process there 100% was, what is the dollar amount that is going to get us closer to a national title. So clearly that thought process is happening.” It’s a three-year contract that pays him around $3.1 million annually. This is the most expensive DC price tag in CFB history, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. But it’s worth it. As long as they bring home a national trophy. But if not?

James Franklin is at the center of this boom-or-bust situation. “You were this close to competing for a National Championship so the pressure is on James Franklin. Is it a boom or bust in 2025?” Hannifan asked and added reasons why it should be a boom. “It’s like all these resources have been handed to you. This is probably your last year with Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen, and a lot of other pieces that are going to be really valuable.” The trio was instrumental in Penn State’s path to the CFP semifinal game. 

QB Drew Allar had been a force in 2024, throwing for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding six touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, both RBs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen had outstanding 1,000+ yard seasons in their 13-3 run. Instead of declaring for the 2025 NFL draft, all three are back with one goal in mind. Singleton put it plainly—“We still have goals we want to reach as a team, and I want to be alongside my teammates as we reach those goals.”

With a National Championship DC joining the program and hungry players fixed on a natty re-run, James Franklin better have the same kind of mentality because a bust in 2025 could lead to his fallout. 

Would Penn State fire James Franklin?

Given their preparation, Penn State fans aren’t going to settle for anything less than a national championship. And they aren’t going to go easy on James Franklin if things go awry in 2025. Tom Hannifan is straight up direct: “I think the general temperature of the room is Penn State needs to win the National Championship in 2025. It’s boom or bust. I think that’s the way Penn State fan base feels at this point in time, part of that is fatigue with James Franklin.” The fatigue with the 53-year-old HC is that he’s been around since 2014, and there’s been no major shifts apart from this past season and that Big Ten championship-winning season in 2016. 

It would be expensive for Penn State to fire James Franklin. He signed a 10-year, $85M contract extension with the school in 2021. So if the Nittany Lions were to fire him, his contract buyout would be $57 million. But the way the program is preparing this season could be the ultimate test for Franklin before the school’s potential hunt for another capable HC who can win National titles. 

This season will be the ultimate test for James Franklin at Penn State. A championship run could cement his legacy. Anything less could see him moving on from Happy Valley.