by Over the past 10 seasons in State College, there have been a handful of reasons to complain about James Franklin. An inability to win the “big game” is what he gets scolded for the most, but Franklin has also gotten criticized for failing to reel in elite-level recruits and transfers on a consistent basis. With blue blood programs, such as Oregon, Washington, and USC, joining the conference next season, offseason aggressiveness is the utmost crucial.
To many coaches in the sport today, the portal is a whole different animal. However, it finally seems like the tenured Nittany Lion head coach is beginning to adapt to it.
Over the past 24 hours, Penn State signed two notable SEC cornerbacks in former five-star A.J. Harris (Georgia) and Jalen Kimber (Florida). These are two key additions that instantly bolster a decent, yet raw secondary that also includes Cam Miller and two current freshmen Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy.
Kimber is now the most experienced cornerback on the Nittany Lion roster. A true outside, man-coverage DB, Kimber allowed just 20 catches and three touchdowns on 35 targets with over 533 snaps under his belt. Miller, who should improve this offseason after getting torched in the Peach Bowl, is projected to be the CB2 on the opposite side.
While Penn State’s biggest transfer pickup this offseason was signing Ohio State WR Julian Fleming, a PA native and the former #1 WR in the Class of 2020, other noteworthy transfer additions include, DL Jordan Mayer (Wisconsin), OL Nolan Rucci (Wisconsin) and kicker Chase Meyer (Tulsa).
While some Penn State fans are ready to write off Franklin, and reasonably so, it’s hard to argue against the fact that he’s earned his stripes this offseason by addressing key needs and plugging the holes that currently exist on the roster. Even though Franklin didn’t dazzle in the portal as much as Lane Kiffin or Jeff Brohm, he’s still taken a noticeable step up this offseason. Got to give credit where credit is due.
