Penn State football changed its perception, and perhaps its immediate future, with one move.
With the hiring of one man.
The Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin, athletic director Pat Kraft and university officials, proved, once and for all, that they are truly invested in becoming the top program in the nation.
At least it feels this way after Sunday reports that they’d lured away Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles — the very best in the business — to run their show. That they are close to finally ascending the college football mountain they’ve been seemingly picking their way along for the past decade, and seemingly handcuffed, as they went.
Whereas requisite talent and good fortune are required to make the College Football Playoff semifinals, as the Lions did this past season, you need even more to win it all — which they haven’t been in position to do in nearly 40 years.
These days, it means spending startling amounts of money to back up your discerning evaluations and rock-solid foundation.
And the Lions, are doing that now at full capability to give themselves the best chance at success.
Consider: Penn State reportedly landed arguably the nation’s top assistant coach … away from its hated rival … by making him the nation’s highest-paid at what he does, ever.
That’s the kind of thing true national title contenders do. What Ohio State did. The Buckeyes owned one of the strongest returning player groups in the nation last year, spent big money on key transfers, lured a former NFL head coach to run its offense and re-upped Knowles’ deal.
They won it all, overcoming difficult storms along the way, because of their makeup.
They gave themselves the best opportunity — something Penn State didn’t always appear willing to do.
PSU didn’t reach as far or as expensively as possible, for example, when hiring offensive leaders back in 2018, 2020 and 2021. It struggled to organize and mobilize NIL funding, at first. It struggled to get long-needed Beaver Stadium renovations rolling.
But the investment protocol has changed, it seems, during the past two years after athletic director and university president hires — and with Franklin still maneuvering the pieces.
To not just be willing to spend big money to make bigger money but be smart, relentless, creative and timely when doing so.
Penn State has surely spent bigger sums of NIL money than ever before to help bring back its core of standout players for 2025, players who could have left for the NFL or big college paydays elsewhere. The list is astonishingly long: quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, center and team leader Nick Dawkins and defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant and safety Zakee Wheatley are just the headliners.
It even appears they are keeping Anthony Poindexter, their standout safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator who was the top in-house candidate to fill this staff void if Knowles didn’t work.
But it did. Adding Knowles is the boldest, baddest, message-sending move possible for Penn State: We did everything possible to bring the best defensive mind in the nation back to his home state.
To make an elite defense even better.
To overcome other possible blemishes and make a national championship run not just possible but probable.
Penn State football: Why Jim Knowles is needed most, now
Because moves like this, sure enough, are not always realistic. Timing and circumstance must be evaluated and seized and delivered.
It’s something this team, for all of its progress and consistency and improvement, have not achieved in crucial moments on the field since Franklin took over.
From 2016, when they missed the College Football Playoff by one spot, then lost in the Rose Bowl on the final play. To losing to these Buckeyes by a point and just missing the playoff the following year. To coming up just short of their ultimate goals, in so many ways, so closely, ever since.
You could argue that they weren’t equipped, as necessary, to make those successes attainable, easier, at least.
Now?
They began changing directions by hiring arguably the most savvy, up-and-coming offensive coordinator possible last year in Kotelenicki.
They ramped the stakes even higher with Knowles.
Which means that Penn State, already a sure-fire preseason top-five team, will be getting more No. 1 attention.
The best kind of expectations and so-called pressure to have, really.
Because they’ve owned and earned them, regardless of how ever-escalating big money continues to morph college football.
Re-set the bar on college coaching salaries? So be it.
Penn State finally is giving itself the best chance possible to succeed.
Which feels rather different, certainly so.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football analysis: Why Jim Knowles means so much now, later
