Tag: James Franklin

Penn State flip target Brandon Finney focusing on his recruitment again

Penn State is hoping to make a final push to flip this recruiting target in their favor.

There are just two weeks until early signing day for class of 2025 prospects, and Penn State is pushing hard to get their current commits officially locked up while also focusing their attention on their top flip targets.

This has been a strange cycle for the Nittany Lions.

Not only have they struggled to land in-state prospects at a rate that hasn’t been seen under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag], but multiple targets they expected to land have spurned them at the last minute for surprise programs across the country.

That’s the new reality of this NIL era, and will be something Penn State will have to adjust to going forward.

But, Franklin and his staff have done good job staying connecting with recruits who might have picked another schools early on in the process, allowing them to be considered as decision day looms.

Someone at the top of their target board is [autotag]Brandon Finney[/autotag].

The five-star cornerback, as ranked by 247Sports, was one of those prospects who surprisingly committed to another school when Penn State was thought to be the leader in his process. For Finney, that program was Oregon, an NIL-rich school who has become a monster on the recruiting trail.

However, the Nittany Lions have maintained close contact with him, relying on the pipeline that is McDonogh to try and convince him to flip.

Will that happen, though?

Momentum has started to build that suggests Finney could be thinking about changing his pledge, and even though he’s still committed to Oregon, there are starting to be some cracks in that foundation.

With McDonogh’s season now over, Brian Dohn of 247Sports is reporting that the talented cornerback is now focusing on his recruitment again with Oregon, Penn State and Michigan all pushing to add him to their class. What’s interesting is that he could even take his decision past the early signing date and wait until February 2025 to make things official (subscription required).

That could be an advantage for Penn State.

With their second road game in a row this weekend against Minnesota, their last chance to host recruits is the final home game of the season against Maryland that comes on a holiday weekend and is right before Early Signing Day.

If Finney wants to string out his recruitment now that his high school season is over, that could allow the Nittany Lions to make more of a pitch to ultimately land him.

Pennsylvania’s top ’25 edge rusher backs off commitment to Ohio State, can Penn State swoop in?

One of the top players in Pennsylvania has backed off his commitment to Ohio State.

Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] likes to keep some of the top recruits in Pennsylvania in the commonwealth, and he may have a second chance to keep one of the top players in the Class of 2025 from leaving the state. [autotag]Zahir Mathis[/autotag], a four-star edge rusher from Imhotep Institute in Philadelphia announced he is backing off his commitment to Ohio State just weeks before the start of the early signing period for college football.

“After much consideration, I’ve decided to reopen my recruitment and decommit from Ohio State,” Mathis said in a message posted on his social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I appreciate Coach Day, Coach Johnson and all the coaches at Ohio State. They are still a top school for me. This is a life decision. Please respect my decision!”

As indicated by Mathis in his message, Ohio State is still a top contender to secure his commitment whenever the time comes for him to lock in his commitment. According to the updated On3 recruiting prediction machine, the Buckeyes are still the overwhelming favorite with a 97.7% chance of receiving his commitment. We will see if that changes at all in light of recent events, but the door is now officially open for Penn State to try keeping one of the state’s top recruits closer to home.

Mathis is the no. 4 overall player in Pennsylvania according to 247Sports and the state’s top-ranked player according to Rivals and ESPN. Naturally, he would be a dream pickup for Penn State if they were able to receive a commitment from Mathis. But Mathis will have plenty of suitors ready to jump in line with his announcement of a de-commitment.

Penn State was the first offer to Mathis back in May 2021.

The early signing period for the Class of 2025 will run from Dec. 4 through Dec. 6.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Penn State vs. Purdue injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 12

All the latest updates and news on Penn State’s injury report ahead of a Week 12 game vs. Purdue.

After a big primetime victory in front of a whiteout crowd last weekend, Penn State looks to keep the good vibes rolling this week on the road against Purdue, a team with just one win all season. It would seem this would be a good week for the Nittany Lions to take a foot slightly off the gas pedal and rest some key players, but the Nittany Lions are caught in a position where it needs to continue racking up some style points to secure a potential first-round home game in the College Football Playoff while not risking any serious injuries to key players.

Penn State has some key players that have been banged up this season and in recent weeks, so it will be interesting to see how the team approached this afternoon’s Big Ten contest in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Big Ten teams are required to provide an updated player availability report two hours prior to kickoff. The information below will be updated once those reports go live from the Big Ten office.

Penn State injury report

OUT

  • Kevin Winston Jr.
  • Kaden Saunders
  • Cam Wallace
  • Keon Wylie
  • Zuriah Fisher
  • Andrew Rappleyea

Purdue injury report

OUT

  • Botros Alisandro
  • Damarjhe Lewis

QUESTIONABLE

  • Jamarius Dinkins
  • Mo Omonode

Nicholas Singleton injury update

Penn State star running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] was taken out of last week’s game in the third quarter and he did not return to action. Singleton suffered what head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] termed a short-term injury, and it is expected Singleton will be available and play Saturday against Purdue. The nature of the injury was undisclosed and Penn State went on to win last week’s game 35-6, so there may have been less of a push to get Singleton back in the game anyway. And even this week, if Singleton is available to go, it would not be shocking if Penn State lightens his workload a bit in a game the Nittany Lions should win handily.

Dani Dennis-Sutton injury update

[autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] left the Wisconsin game three weeks ago with an injury and has been slowly working his way back to full strength. Dennis-Sutton played just five snaps two weeks ago against Ohio State and doubled that to 10 snaps last week against Washignton after being listed as questionable.

Coziah Izzard injury update

[autotag]Coziah Izzard[/autotag] was banged up two weeks ago against Ohio State and was listed as questionable for last week’s game against Washington. Izzard did not play in the game.

Penn State faces Purdue at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. The Nittany Lions are a four-touchdown favorite.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Best pictures from Penn State’s White Out victory vs. Washington

Check out some of the best photos from Penn State’s latest home game against Washington in front of a White Out crowd in Beaver Stadium.

The White Out atmosphere was electric, as it always is on Saturday evening, and Penn State made sure its fans went home happy. The Nittany Lions offense came out on fire, scoring on four straight drives to put the wheels in motion for a 35-6 win over the Washington Huskies. There were several notable moments, especially when Tyler Warren went airborne for a touchdown.

Penn State will look to keep the positive momentum going next week on the road against Purdue, which was trounced by Ohio State earlier on Saturday. Penn State must remain sharp to keep the possibility of hosting a College Football Playoff game alive.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s White Out against Washington.

WATCH: What Penn State head coach James Franklin said about Ohio State after the game

Watch and listen to what Penn State head coach James Franklin said about Ohio State after the game. #GoBucks

Ohio State went on the road to play No. 3 Penn State and got the job done, coming home with a 20-13 victory. It was a win the Buckeyes sorely needed to stay in the thick of the Big Ten and College Football Playoff race.

On the other sideline, the loss by the Nittany Lions was the eighth-straight to OSU and furthered the narrative that head coach James Franklin can’t beat Ohio State and can’t win the big one. Now, both teams sit at 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the league, tied for third place with just four games to play, and just one game out of first place, behind Oregon and Indiana.

After the game, Franklin met with the media in State College to basically face the firing squad of judgement after coming short again but was quick to credit Ohio State.

If you missed any of his comments, we have the entire press conference for your viewing pleasure thanks to Blue White Illustrated YouTube channel. Watch below as Franklin credits Ohio State, laments on losing big games, owns up to falling short again, and more.

After the big win, Ohio State will now focus on preparing to host a Purdue team that has derailed before leaving the station. Game time has yet to be determined but we’ll continue the coverage leading up to the contest this coming weekend.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Penn State player apologizes to fans after big loss to Ohio State

Here is what one Penn State veteran said to fans after a disappointing loss.

It was a frustrating afternoon of college football in Happy Valley as Penn State took its first loss of the season. Pouring salt on the wounds was the loss coming against a team that has dominated them over the years, Ohio State. Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] addressed some of the critical moments of the loss to the Buckeyes, and many players echoed the coach’s statements regarding self-reflection and learning to correct the mistakes from this game before turning the page to the next game.

But one player, offensive lineman [autotag]Sal Wormely[/autotag], sent a message to Penn State fans who packed Beaver Stadium in record fashion and left disappointed.

“I mean, we apologize sincerely. You know, we’re supposed to show off for you all; big game, big day,” Wormley said in his postgame comments with the media. “You all are always there for us when we’re winning. I know you all are hurting that we lost.”

Wormley went on to say he hopes the fans come back out for the remainder of the season, beginning with next week’s home game against Washington.

“We’re going to come back next week and hope that they’re still there to support us,” Wormely said.

Penn State still has a lot to play for this season with the expanded College Football Playoff. Penn State will still have an excellent chance to be in the playoff with an 11-1 record if it can win out the rest of the schedule. The first step in that goal will be next week’s home game with Washington, one of the Big Ten’s new members this season.

[lawrence-related id=50187,50185,50170,50116]

James Franklin says ‘nobody looking in the mirror harder than I am’ after latest big game loss

The James Franklin narrative is impossible to shake at this point.

The track record of [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] in big games is well documented at this point, and shaking the narrative has only been getting more difficult by the year for Penn State’s head coach. Penn State lost its eighth straight game to Ohio State on Saturday, adding another loss to a top-5 or top-10 team to James Franklin’s record, which is anything but rosy at this point. In fact, the numbers are putrid.

Fans and critics alike joined in unison after Penn State’s 20-13 loss to Ohio State in front of the largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history on Saturday afternoon with comments ripping Franklin for not being able to get his program over the Buckeye hurdle. Even Franklin’s biggest defenders have lost the energy to put up much of a debate over it after being put into a sleeper hold year after year of the same results.

Say what you will about Franklin and his track record, Franklin did not shy away from suggesting he takes a hard look at himself after a performance like this.

“There’s nobody that’s looking in the mirror harder than I am,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference on Saturday afternoon.

[lawrence-related id=50185]

“I will say this, and I’ve said it before, 99 percent of the programs across college football would die to do what we’ve been able to do in our time here,” Franklin continued. “But I also understand when you’re in a place like Penn State, there’s really, really high expectations. When you’re in a place like Ohio State, there’s really, really high expectations. I get it.”

These comments are good to hear, but the obvious retort is the difference between Penn State and Ohio State is the Buckeyes find ways to elevate themselves and at least win some of the high-profile games, whereas Penn State’s record against the same caliber opponents suggests the program has plateaued under the current head coach with little hope of getting to the next level of being a national championship contender.

Penn State is still in a good position for a push for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but the end result feels almost expected at this point. Penn State may make the College Football Playoff, but will they be capable of winning a game, let alone two? The results of the past decade suggest a not-so-optimistic outlook.

[lawrence-related id=50170,50116,50167,50156]

What James Franklin said about the final moments of Penn State’s loss to Buckeyes

James Franklin was asked why Tyler Warren didn’t get the ball in a key point in the loss.

Penn State may not have played a great game against Ohio State but the Nittany Lions had multiple opportunities deep in the Ohio State end of the field to change the outcome. Instead, Penn State squandered two opportunities for touchdowns at the end of the first half and toward the end of the fourth quarter as Ohio State celebrated a 20-13 victory over the Nittany Lions. Those were moments fresh on Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]’s mind after the loss, and the fourth-quarter series with 1st and Goal was one of the hot-button issues in the postgame press conference.

“Yeah, we gave the ball to the running back, I think three times, threw the ball on the last one,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference when asked if there was a thought to try getting the ball to tight end Tyler Warren, who has a solid track record in those goal-line situations. “Should we probably have given the ball to [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] after the plays he made? Yeah, I get the question. I get it.”

Franklin was also asked about the decision to go for the touchdown on fourth down from the one-yard line. It was a pretty well-received decision to go for the touchdown and the potential tie, even if it didn’t work out in the end, but Franklin suggested the thinking was Ohio State being pinned against the goal line if the offense didn’t score was still a good situation to be in, all things considered.

“Yeah, not only that, you could get a safety and get the ball back, which puts you in position to win the game,” Franklin explained. “Get a two-point safety and the ball back with three timeouts.”

Unfortunately, Ohio State used the power running game to wear down the Penn State defense and never let Penn State get the ball back in the final five minutes.

“They had a championship drive right there at the end,” Franklin said. “We did not play well in an obvious running situation.”

Franklin and Penn State will be back at home next week for a game against new Big Ten member Washington. Penn State still has a lot to play for with the College Football playoff still within reach in the final stretch of the regular season.

James Franklin continues Penn State’s annual tradition of losing the biggest game of the year

Penn State fans can’t be happy with James Franklin’s team dropping another big game.

This was James Franklin’s moment. This was his chance to make a statement, to show his Penn State teams can beat the best of the best, to beat Ryan Day for the first time and Ohio State for the first time since 2016.

And yet, the Nittany Lions whiffed on their big opportunity, losing another big game. And fans, again, were clearly livid with Franklin — but they shouldn’t be too surprised with the unfortunate annual tradition.

Saturday during No. 4 Ohio State’s 20-13 road win against No. 3 Penn State, the Buckeyes had that seven-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but the Nittany Lions were making moves. With less than seven minutes left in the game, Penn State was first-and-goal on the Buckeyes’ three-yard line.

Run play for no gain, run play for a one yard, another run for one yard. It was then fourth-and-goal on the one-yard line with a chance to tie the game (with a good extra point) with about five minutes left.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar took the snap and dropped back to pass. But instead of looking to tight end Tyler Warren, who was covered by a single Buckeye while standing just shy of the goal line, Allar attempted a needle-threading throw to tight end Khalil Dinkins, who was in the end zone with three defenders surrounding him. The pass was incomplete, Penn State turned it over on downs and Ohio State ran out the clock to hold on for the victory.

With the loss, Franklin is now 1-10 against Ohio State, 13-27 against ranked opponents and 1-13 against AP top-5 teams as Penn State’s head coach. Franklin, who has been in Happy Valley since 2014, is also now 0-6 against Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Not great.

Unfortunately for Franklin and the Nittany Lions (and their fan base), this is par for the course. Losing a highly anticipated game and opportunity for a desperately needed signature win is peak mid-season Penn State under Franklin.

Penn State usually enters each college football season with a sizable amount of hype behind it. The Nittany Lions are usually considered Big Ten title and College Football Playoff contenders. But somewhere through their schedule, usually around Ohio State and/or Michigan, they drop a game or two and miss out on a shot at a conference title — and a shot at something bigger when the playoff was still limited to four teams.

A seven-point loss to Ohio State won’t wreck Penn State’s season, and a loss that close to a top-5 team shouldn’t drop it too far in the rankings after previously being undefeated. And with a 12-team College Football Playoff, there’s still a solid chance the Nittany Lions will make it.

Maybe a win or two in the playoff would make regular-season losses more digestible for Penn State fans. Maybe a back-door route to the Big Ten championship game — and a win — would make regularly losing to Ohio State more tolerable. Or maybe fans are getting really tired of Franklin’s talented teams coming up short in big game after big game, season after season.

Penn State probably isn’t ready yet to fork over Franklin’s $56,666,667 buyout to fire him, even if angry fans call for his job. But coming up short in big-time regular-season games has to be getting old.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

James Franklin arguing with a fan after the Ohio State loss (again) was a terrible look

This is not a good look for James Franklin.

Penn State coach James Franklin got into a brief argument with a disgruntled Nittany Lions fan on Saturday.

After his team’s 20-13 loss to Ohio State on Saturday, Franklin got heckled as he was leaving the field. Rather than just ignore it, the coach decided to exchange words with the fan in particular.

StateCollege.com’s Seth Engle shared the terse encounter between Franklin and the fan. And this isn’t the first time he’s had a heated post-Ohio State game moment with fans.

“If you’re gonna be man enough to talk, what’s your name?” Franklin yelled at the fan before the latter walks away.

Losing is never fun, but a previously undefeated Penn State taking its first loss of the season at home against a rival like Ohio State is a tough look for Franklin. It’s one made even worse with unnecessary moments like this.

The jeers he got as he entered the home stadium’s tunnel confirmed that enough, recorded by The Athletic‘s Audrey Snyder.

College football can be quite sobering. How tough it must be that one loss can spark such antagonism from the home crowd.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]