One-on-one with James Franklin as Penn State prepares for title run

STATE COLLEGE – This Penn State football season will be the most anticipated of the last quarter-century.

Nine regulars from last season decided to return for another crack at the Nittany Lions’ first national championship since 1986 instead of turning pro.

The most sought-after defensive coordinator in the country left nemesis Ohio State to join the Penn State staff.

Three wide receivers arrived from other schools to boost a position of need after the Lions went 13-3 and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.

No wonder why James Franklin was in a cheerful mood several days ago for a one-on-one interview in his office.

He discussed the two-headed “beast” of NIL and the transfer portal; the Lions’ success at roster retention; critical cooperation he receives from his supervisors; the toll his job has taken on his family; whether or not he’s underappreciated; what it will take for Penn State to win its next national title; and other topics.

Q: You described the NIL/transfer portal combination as a beast. You’ve said you’ve strived to be transformational and not transactional. Do you feel at times like you’re swimming against the tide?

Franklin: Yeah, I do. The reason I call it a beast is that it’s so different from the college football I grew up with. The other thing is you’re essentially (Philadelphia Eagles general manager) Howie Roseman and (Eagles coach) Nick Sirianni. You’re both. You’re kind of filling both positions. You’re having to navigate all those things. That’s what makes it a beast. I think you are swimming upstream, but I do think there’s still a decent amount of families and kids that are trying to choose a college for the same reasons why student-athletes have been choosing colleges for the last 100 years. I still think there’s a good amount of people out…

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Publish date : 2025-05-18 03:51:00

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