Where is Penn State coach James Franklin in The Athletic's annual coaches top-25?: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for March 7 include The Athletic’s annual coaches rankings and James Franklin’s place in them, headlines of the day, and more.
It’s time to dive into Thursday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with The Athletic’s annual rankings of college football coaches. Experts Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel each compile their own top 25. The pair have differing opinions of where Franklin should be slotted. Of the two, Feldman has the leader of the Lions the highest at No. 7 overall, one spot behind LSU’s Brian Kelly, who is at No. 6.
“Franklin and Kelly’s cases are more similar than one might think,” Feldman writes. “Kelly had a way better offense last year and Franklin had a much tougher defense, but both pile up double-digit-win seasons. They haven’t come close to winning a national title, except for Notre Dame’s aforementioned blowout loss to Alabama in Miami more than a decade ago.
“Penn State is 21-5 the past two seasons but just 1-4 against top-10 teams in that stretch. Franklin has turned in four 11-win seasons since 2016 there and has elevated Penn State back into a powerhouse, but the Nittany Lions struggle to match up with Ohio State and Michigan. Last year’s offense was a dud. Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and brought in Andy Kotelnicki from Leipold’s Kansas staff in hopes of taking that next big step.”
Mandel, meanwhile, has the 11th-year Penn State coach at No. 15.
“It seems harsh to drop a coach five spots coming off of a 10-3 season (and 11-2 before that), but Franklin’s program is underachieving,” Mandel writes. “Despite impressive recruiting classes, Penn State has lost seven years in a row to Ohio State, and Franklin is 3-7 against Michigan. He’s a top-15 coach based on his record, but the Nittany Lions have been mostly holding serve.”
Headlines of the day
Potential landing spots for Saquon Barkley with New York Giants RB set to become free agent: McGonigal, PennLive
Four-star prospect from down south locks in Penn State visit date: Snyder, BWI
Before Dartmouth’s Union Vote, Penn State Football Started a Conversation: Wogenrich, SI
Big Ten wrestling tournament preview: Breaking down the Penn State outlook at 125-157 pounds: Pickel, BWI
Every Penn State player who appears on ESPN’s All-Playoff Era team: Nittany Lions Wire
Predicting the Penn State team award winners for spring football: Carr, BWI
2026 4-star QB Dia Bell is ready for his ‘really important’ spring visits: Simmons, On3
Quote of the day
“Since it’s farther away from Florida and Miami, I make sure I contact them frequently over the phone, figure out what’s going on and keep building that relationship with them. Over time, it’s just grown and grown. I talk to (offensive coordinator Andy) Kotelnicki, (quarterbacks) coach (Danny) O’Brien and (head) coach (James) Franklin as well.”
–Four-star Class of 2026 QB Dia Bell to On3’s Chad Simmons about PSU ahead of his spring visit to see the Lions in March.
