Nittany news and notes: James Franklin trending to flip four-star, Palestra tickets on sale, and more

One of Penn State's biggest priorities in the 2025 recruiting class has been the cornerback position. James Franklin was forced to address it first in the transfer portal this offseason to add two starters and now he’s looking to restock the cupboard with a stellar recruiting class. Penn State already has commitments from 2025 four-stars Jahmir Joseph and Daryus Dixson, and now the Nittany Lions may be on the cusp of flipping four-star defensive back Brandon Finney from his commitment to Oregon. 

On3 is predicting that Penn State is the favorite to flip Finney’s commitment. The Owings Mills, Maryland product took an official visit to Happy Valley this summer and returned to State College this month. By 247Sports Composite rankings, Finney is the No. 57 prospect in the country and the No. 6 cornerback. However, 247Sports rankings have Finney as a five-star and the 29th-best player in the 2025 class. 

Finney would be a huge addition to Franklin’s 2025 class which is ranked as the 15th best in the country, and poaching him from Dan Lanning and a new Big Ten rival would be the cherry on top. 

Penn State men’s basketball tickets on sale for January, 5 game at the Palestra

On January 5, 2025, Penn State will play Indiana at The Palestra, one of the most historic basketball venues in the country. Tickets for the Big Ten matchup in Philadelphia go on sale on October 30, 2024, for season ticket holders, Nittany Lion Club members, and students. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, October 31 at 10:00 a.m. ET. 

Penn State has played 62 games at The Palestra dating back to 1927 and this will be the program’s fifth time hosting a Big Ten matchup there since 2017. 

More: Penn State women’s volleyball stays unbeaten in Big Ten

Penn State women’s volleyball is 20-1 on the season and 10-0 in Big Ten play after a 2-0 road trip to the West Coast. The Nittany Lions beat UCLA in five sets on Thursday and downed No. 16 USC in four sets on Saturday to remain unbeaten in conference play. Star freshman setter Izzy Starck posted double-doubles in both matches. 

Penn State will host Michigan on Wednesday, October 30, and Iowa on Friday, November 1.