James Franklin believes NIL, transfer portal impact is ‘bigger than what people think’

NIL and the transfer portal have had a massive impact on college athletics. However, Penn State Nittany Lions football coach James Franklin thinks that the impact they’re having is even larger than what most people realize.

Franklin said this during an interview with WHTM-ABC27 News when he was asked about the impact of NIL on college football.

“Yeah, I think you would have to say it is,” James Franklin said. “It’s a major change. That transfer portal has been a major change. NIL has been a major change in recruiting and in keeping your current roster.

Because NIL opportunities are out there and players can transfer one time without punishment, retaining players is more difficult than it used to be. For Franklin, this is a huge impact and he thinks that the average fan might not even realize how big that impact is on college football.

“So, yeah, I think for sure it’s probably as big and I’d make the argument bigger than what probably most people think.”

Penn State is deeply involved in NIL under James Franklin. That includes having multiple NIL collectives, including We Are, Success With Honor, and Lions Legacy Club. All three of these collectives work to serve the football program at Penn State to some extent.

Several Nittany Lions have massive On3 NIL Valuations. Running back Nick Singleton has an $880,000 On3 NIL Valuation. That’s good for 31st in the On3 NIL 100. Offensive lineman Olu Fashanu has an $842,000 valuation, placing him 36th on the NIL 100. At 62nd, edge rusher Chop Robinson is valued at $688,000. Then, defensive back Kalen King has a valuation of $548,000, placing him 92nd on the NIL 100.

The On3 NIL Valuation is designed to set an athlete’s projected annual value. It does this by establishing the overall NIL market and a projected 12-month growth rate. That is accomplished by measuring Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index.

James Franklin defined success in 2023 for Penn State

Expectations are high for Penn State in 2023. The roster is talented and after winning the Rose Bowl, there is an expectation that the team will take a step forward with Drew Allar taking over at quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

For James Franklin, however, the most important thing in 2023 is that Penn State gets better every day.

“Yeah, to be honest with you that’s a question I get from time to time. And really we don’t do that. It’s not like I sit here and kind of come up with this for our program. We just want to have a great camp and put ourself in the best position to beat West Virginia on national television, 7:30 primetime game here in Beaver Stadium, and then build on that. And I think if we can build on that Week 1 and get better each week of the season to put us in the best position to compete for a Big Ten championship and get a chance to get into those plays and see where it goes from there that’s what’s important to us,” Franklin explained.

“It’s how do we put ourselves in the best position to beat West Virginia and then build on it? So we’re excited about those opportunities and we’re excited about those challenges. That’s what everybody does in the offseason.”