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Penn State Football: Time for James Franklin to build a perennial contender

By Barry Leonard Jr.

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks down the sidelines during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks down the sidelines during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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James Franklin has had enough time to turn Penn State into an annual contender

Just seven years ago, the Penn State football program was in a dark place and in danger of falling out of relevance for a long time. Fortunately, Bill O’Brien entered in 2012 and saved the program by keeping it from falling apart. Next, it was James Franklin’s turn to see what he could do with the Nittany Lions.

When Franklin took over the program in 2014, there were players from previous recruiting classes, and the roster was still limited due to scholarship restrictions. However, after five full seasons, Franklin has had ample time to recruit his team and bring in the right players for what he wants to do.

A strong recruiting reputation followed Franklin from Vanderbilt to Penn State, and he hasn’t disappointed. Since taking over at Penn State, he’s been able to get some of the best talent in the country come to Central Pennsylvania.

According to the 247Sports Team Rankings, Franklin’s classes have ranked 24th, 14th, 20th, 15th, and 6th respectively since 2014. The 2019 class checked in at No. 13 nationally.

However, bringing in top talent hasn’t yet transferred to huge results on the field. Outside of a 2016 Big Ten title, the Nittany Lions have failed to live up to high expectations. Penn State has been on the outside looking in of the College Football Playoff, and has been behind Ohio State in the Big Ten East.

Last year’s 9-4 record was a disappointment after back-to-back 11-win seasons, especially considering the talent that was returning on the roster.

Franklin has by no means failed at Penn State — he has an overall record of 45-21 — but it is time to do more. With players from other coaches’ recruiting classes completely gone, Franklin has a full roster of “his guys.”

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Penn State football is back on the map, and one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Now, it’s time for Franklin to turn transform his teams from looking good on paper to performing well on the biggest stage of college football.

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