Expectations are through the roof for HC James Franklin’s Penn State team. The team retained nine important starters from last year, added Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, and snagged three wide receivers in the transfer portal, putting them in the national championship discussion.

Franklin sat down with the Reading Eagle to discuss NIL challenges, transfer portal chaos, and his optimism for Knowles as the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Penn State Coach James Franklin Opens Up On New Age Challenges

Penn State head coach James Franklin called the NIL and transfer portal system a “beast,” comparing himself to Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni.

“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 Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni. You’re both. You’re kind of filling both positions,” Franklin told the Eagle.

“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.”

Franklin isn’t alone in this sentiment. While the sport is booming with “new age” coaches who have seemingly nailed the transfer portal and NIL, many “old guard” coaches are struggling to gain a foothold on recruiting.

“I still think there’s a good amount of people out there, but the money can be significant. That’s where it becomes most challenging. These numbers are not insignificant. You have to be consistent. If you’re recruiting a kid and they’re leading with money, as much as you like the kid, he’s probably not the right kid for you,” he explained.

“The same way with the family. The same thing with us. I must ensure our entire coaching staff isn’t leading with money because we must be consistent across the board. We have to ensure we’re getting the right kids and attracting the right kids.”

But despite the chaos and high level of responsibility that comes with being a college football head coach, the Nittany Lions have kept more players than most, something Franklin said is due to consistency and the way they treat their players.

“I think relationships are more important than they’ve ever been,” Franklin said. “I think recruiting is more important than it’s ever been. You’re bringing the right kids and families here. We’ve been able to close the (NIL) gap because we were behind. You can’t just ask people to walk away from significant money. You have to be able to be in the ballpark,” Franklin said.

“We’re able to show recruits that they’re important to us in a lot of different ways. We show them the best players in the other programs are leaving. Our best players are coming back. It shows you that we’re going to invest in our own roster rather than in somebody else’s roster.”

Franklin also attributed success to Penn State’s trustees, chairman David Kleppinger, President Neeli Bendapudi, and Athletic Director Pat Kraft, who have allowed him to push the Nittany Lions to the next level. But it also comes down to assistant coaches, and Penn State made a big hire with Knowles.

KEEP READING: James Franklin Throws a Wrench in Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas A&M’s Recruiting Plans

Franklin praised Knowles’ experience at Duke, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State, telling the Eagle it helped Knowles learn a lot and become effective at his job.

“Sometimes when I hire people and they’ve only been at the blue bloods, when you’ve always had the best resources and the best players, it’s a very different learning experience and a very different learning curve,” Franklin said. “He’s also been a head coach before. He’s also from the footprint, from a prominent high school in St. Joe’s Prep.”

“All of those things matter. I’ve learned that he’s a man of few words. He can turn it on, but he’s not a talker. In the building, in staff meetings, he’s a man of few words. He doesn’t talk much, and he’s not loud. You have to lean in. When he talks, people listen.”

Now, with Penn State one of the favorites to win a championship, Franklin, Knowles and the rest of the Nittany Lions will each have to put in their all to get the team over the hump.

Despite coaching for three decades, 11 years of which were for Penn State, this could be Franklin’s most impactful year yet.

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One of the latest trends in college football is adding general managers (GMs) to their coaching staff. GM is a term sports fans are familiar with when it comes to their favorite professional sports teams, but this is a brand new role that has been created in college football over the last few years.

One of the interesting things about this role is that there really isn’t a defined set of job duties the GM will perform for their program. Their duties could range from helping with NIL, the transfer portal, recruiting or even hiring other positions in the coaching staff.

While many programs have added GMs over the past could years, Georgia is one team that has not done that yet. This may be somewhat concerning because hearing other schools are adding GMs kind of sounds like they’re getting an advantage, but Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks recently spoke about why UGA has not added a GM yet.

Kirby Smart is Georgia’s GM

“I think first of all, you have to know the term gets thrown around a lot, and it means different things at different places, so there’s not just one cookie cutter way to do it,” Brooks said via dawgnation.com.

“We have a highly intelligent, highly involved head football coach,” Brooks continued, “(and) we have a great support staff underneath him, and I think we have a phenomenal executive staff when you talk about the people on my staff that work directly with him. We’ve ben together a long time — I’ve been working with Coach Smart now nine years, and now I’m a fifth year AD with him who has staff members who have been with him four, five or six years. So there’s a lot of great continuity there, so I don’t think any of us want to just bring someone in from the outside and say, ‘You’re the GM, lead us.’”

Georgia doesn’t need to change what’s working

Based solely on the timing of when GMs became a thing in college football, it is clear that NIL and the transfer portal led programs to add this position. The timing of this however is why Georgia doesn’t feel the need to add a GM to their program.

Georgia has been the best program in the country during the NIL era. They have won two SEC Championships and two National Championships as well, which is something no other program in the country can claim during this timeframe. So if UGA has found this success without a GM, there is no reason to add one now.

According to the above statement from Brooks, he also feels that Kirby Smart does a great job filling the role of what a GM does anyways. So if he feels that way, then that just adds to why Georgia doesn’t need to add a GM.

This doesn’t mean that Georgia won’t add a GM in the future, but it does sound like if they ever do they will select someone from within the program. And that sounds like a much better option than adding an external person like other programs have done.

Gonzaga College High School (DC) has named Keith Urgo as the next Head Basketball Coach.

A proud alumnus of the Class of 1997, Coach Urgo was a three-sport athlete on Eye Street who continued his athletic career at Fairfield University, playing both basketball and lacrosse. After college, Coach Urgo began his career in education at the Washington Jesuit Academy and coached basketball at Gonzaga for four years as the Freshman Head Coach and a Varsity Assistant. Over the past 18 years, he has coached at the collegiate level with roles at Villanova, Penn State, and Fordham. Three years ago, he became the Head Coach of Fordham, earning the title of Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in his first season.

“Coach Urgo’s coaching philosophy is deeply rooted in Jesuit tradition and mission,” says Athletic Director Mr. Terry Kernan ‘08. “Having attended or served at four separate Jesuit institutions, he is committed to the individual growth of each player, both on and off the court. He is passionate about returning to his alma mater to lead Gonzaga’s basketball program. We can’t wait to welcome him back to Eye Street.”

In addition to coaching, Coach Urgo will also serve as an Assistant Athletic Director. In this role, he will launch a new NIL and College Financial Literacy Education Program, which will include seminars, workshops, and guest speakers to prepare our athletes and their families for the evolving college landscape. He will also act as a liaison between Gonzaga Ministry and Athletics, ensuring all sports programs engage in team-based service projects.

Boogie Fland isn’t just running it back. He’s cashing in.

After testing the NBA Draft waters, the former McDonald’s All-American stunned the college basketball world by announcing his return—not to Arkansas, but to Florida. And while his decision boosts the Gators’ title odds, it also signals a seismic shift in college sports: NIL is now the game within the game.

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According to CBS Sports, Fland is set to receive a reported $2 million NIL package, placing him among the highest-paid college athletes in the country. That figure isn’t just headline-worthy—it’s history-making. For Florida fans, it’s a statement that the Gators are not just building a contender, they’re building a brand.

Fland, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 15.1 points and 5.7 assists in just 18 games last season before a hand injury cut his year short. Despite limited action, his efficiency and poise on the court caught national attention—and apparently, deep-pocketed NIL investors too.

Now paired with Ivy League standout Xaivian Lee, Florida’s backcourt suddenly looks like one of the most dynamic in the country. Head coach Todd Golden, fresh off an NCAA Tournament title, isn’t just stacking talent—he’s stacking momentum. Fland’s NIL deal confirms what many suspected: Florida isn’t rebuilding. They’re reloading.

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The implications are massive. Fland’s return to college over a potential pro payday reflects how NIL has shifted the power dynamic. With millions on the table and prime-time exposure in a major conference, elite players like Fland no longer have to choose between the spotlight and the salary.

Expect the O’Dome to be buzzing this season—not just with fans, but with scouts, brands, and cameras.

Boogie bet on himself. Florida just made sure he got paid.

Related: Former NBA veteran takes over at Notre Dame in historic NIL move

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