Penn State head coach James Franklin returned to The Field restaurant in State College on Thursday evening for the first time in the 2025 season. His first weekly radio show of the campaign marked the unofficial kickoff to game week, with Nevada set to visit Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
And Franklin, his team, and the community are ready for it. Acknowledging that “it definitely gets to that point” in the preseason when the offense and defense are eager to hit someone else – and especially tired of hearing Franklin yell on the practice field – Penn State will get that opportunity soon.
Here are a few key takeaways from his appearance on the show:
Micah Parsons signs record deal
Franklin opened by celebrating headline news from Thursday afternoon: former Nittany Lion star Micah Parsons signed the largest contract in NFL history for a non-quarterback, joining the Green Bay Packers.
“Everybody probably saw Micah Parsons just signed the largest contract in the history of the NFL for a non-quarterback, in my old stomping grounds of the Green Bay Packers, which is awesome,” Franklin said. “Obviously, I would have loved to see him stay in Dallas, but I’m happy for Micah and his family.”
Penn State football’s ‘mad scientist’
The addition of Jim Knowles has been a popular talking point since the offseason, and Franklin again highlighted the new defensive coordinator’s unique presence.
“He’s kind of a mad scientist. He’s got a very different demeanor than most coaches. I’ll have him come up and address the team, and he’s kind of whispering, and everybody in the meeting room is kind of leaning in to listen to what he has to say,” Franklin said. “But he’s very thoughtful, and he’s got a really good scheme that matches what we were already doing.
“And then also just his experience of being at Ohio State and coming up short two years for a national championship and then winning in year three. Those experiences are valuable. So it’s been good.”
The trouble with openers
Franklin noted that opening games are always difficult, particularly in today’s college football climate, where rosters and coaching staffs turn over rapidly. This year’s Nevada squad provides an even greater challenge, with 54 new players arriving from the transfer portal under head coach Jeff Choate.
“In today’s college football, opening games are always difficult because you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Franklin said. “Coaches have done off season studies. It’s hard to kind of predict what it’s going to be. So you talk about running base offense, base defense, base special teams, and then kind of adjust as the game goes on.
“Now you magnify that with Nevada has 54 new players on the roster from the transfer portal.”
Penn State football’s ‘special’ new home
The dust hasn’t settled on Beaver Stadium’s three-year, $700 million renovation project, but Franklin said his team has already been able to enjoy the new environment. The Nittany Lions have practiced inside three times this summer, though not yet under the new lights – a step they’ll take during the bye week to prepare for night games.
“For the most part, it’s been great,” Franklin said. “I think, for the people that have not been in the stadium yet, you’re going to get in there and you’re going to be like, ‘Wow, this is a lot better than what I anticipated.’ I think it’s got some upgrades already, but you’re going to start to kind of picture how special this thing’s going to be a year from now.”
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