James Franklin is still finding ways back into the Penn State conversation, even after nearly eight months at Virginia Tech. In a new interview with The Athletic, the former Nittany Lions coach revisited the October 2025 firing and gave a blunt answer when asked whether he regretted not leaving on his own terms.
"Yes"
He added, "I say that because of how it ended," Franklin said. "I didn't feel like that at the time because when all these opportunities came I turned them down because we were so close."
That was the line that jumped out. Franklin has been asked about Penn State plenty since moving on, and this latest version of the story carries a different kind of sting. He spent 11.5 seasons in State College, and the article suggests he’s still wondering what might have happened had he taken one of those other chances - USC or LSU were mentioned - instead of staying put.
Virginia Tech, naturally, is happy to have him leaning into the future. Outgoing athletic director Whit Babcock put it this way: "You want to be at a place where you're celebrated, not tolerated. And he is celebrated here."
The interview was conducted during the spring, according to the article, so Franklin was answering questions in the moment. Still, it’s a notable reminder that the Penn State ending clearly hasn’t faded for him.
Elsewhere, Penn State picked up a major boost for the Beaver Stadium renovation. Bob and Sandy Poole donated $5 million to the project, pushing the school’s announced fundraising total beyond $135 million. Bob Poole, a 1972 Penn State graduate, owns several construction and real estate businesses in the State College area.
The renovation is now in Phase II, with the West Tower reaching its structural peak of 195 feet. The $700 million project remains on track to be finished for the 2027 season.
On the football side, ESPN’s preseason College Football Power Index dropped Penn State at No. 17.
That slot makes sense with 55 new players set to be on the 2026 roster. The FPI also projects nine wins and gives the Nittany Lions a 22 percent shot at the College Football Playoff, numbers tied to what looks like one of the Big Ten’s easier schedules.
That roster turnover is why so many position groups come with fresh questions. Penn State has plenty of new starters coming in by design, and there are seven who need to step up.
One player drawing attention is defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim, an Oklahoma State transfer who has become the kind of “glue guy” every team needs. Will Horstman dug into his story, and he’s one to keep an eye on this season.
Recruiting, meanwhile, took another hit when Penn State missed on 4-star Pennsylvania receiver Khalil Taylor. It was the latest in a string of recruiting swings for the program.
And there was some basketball news mixed in as well: former Penn State player Josh Reed won his first step in a legal challenge against the NCAA as he tries to play another season of college basketball. Penn State also has Pitt on the schedule in Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has Hope After A Brutal Recruiting Stretch
The recruiting picture has been rocky enough for Penn State to feel the sting in the 2027 cycle, with several high-end targets going elsewhere and the staff left to regroup. But the early shape of 2028 offers a different kind of energy, and it starts with James Armstrong, the Pennsylvania quarterback commitment who has already taken on a bigger role than most prospects do this early by helping sell the program to other in-state talent.
That matters because Penn State still has plenty of work to do to turn one promising pledge into a class that can change the mood around the program. The staff also has reason to feel better about the roster it will put on the field soon, with Tony Rojas moving toward a bigger role after his setbacks and Max Granville back in the mix after his own injury issues, while the next big recruiting battle in the state is already coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Has One Defining Question Heading Into September
Penn State heads toward September with a roster that looks far different from the one it finished with a year ago, and that kind of turnover usually leaves one obvious place to start: quarterback. The Nittany Lions are building their offense around Becht, who is back after offseason surgery, while a staff that has already added 55 new players tries to sort out how the rest of the depth chart fits around him. There is no shortage of new faces, especially on the defensive line, where multiple transfers have been brought in to help reshape the group.
The bigger issue is how many of the important questions still sit just below the surface as the opener gets closer. Penn State is still evaluating several position groups, and the offense in particular has a few spots where the answers are not nearly as settled as the coaching staff would like. The line, the backfield and the receiver room all carry some intrigue, but the most important thread remains whether the Nittany Lions can line up the right support around their returning quarterback before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]