You know that feeling when you want something badly and are just one step away from grabbing it but it slips away? That’s exactly what James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions had to go through. They must be still seeing the Championship trophy dreams. After all, even after holding an 11-3 overall record, their pursuit to land the title ended with Ohio State Buckeyes placing their heavy paw on them. In case, Franklin thinks of taking the 2024 revenge, here are some roadblocks that he needs to clear ASAP. For now, analyst Greg McElroy pinpoints the areas that need to be addressed in the spring itself. 

The Happy Valley did find some momentary happiness. At least if not the Championship title, they now have a big piece of the winning team. That’s none other than their new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, whom they hired away from Ohio State. For that, they had to loosen their pockets as Franklin’s program pays Knowles an annual salary of $3 million. However, it’s not only about what the new coach is bringing to the table. It’s also about what he is getting while stepping into Penn State. On the March 17 episode of the ESPN College Football podcast, McElroy addressed the elephant in the room, saying that apart from the good paycheck, Knowles “also inherits an awful lot of quality on that defense.”

Here are some big questions. “Are they going to be as good along the front without Abdul Carter?” The analyst answered, “Probably not.” Now hailed as the strong competitor to Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward in the 2025 NFL Draft, the EDGE Abdul Carter logged in 68 tackles (43 solo), 23.5 tackles for loss, and 12.0 sacks. Known for his athleticism, explosiveness, and versatility, Carter played a pivotal role in Penn State’s defense across a variety of schemes. The next big question whose answer Franklin needs to find out is, “Who is going to step up to replace the All-American tight end Tyler Warren?”

Coming as a left-handed quarterback, Tyler Warren upgraded to be a tight end. He had set a Penn State record for tight ends with 146 receiving yards on his eight receptions. Earlier, the previous high was Matt Kranchick’s 136 yards vs. Wisconsin in 2003. He did have a positive impact on his mates as well. As McElroy stated, “Last year, Drew Allar when things were going bad, when things were chaotic… He always seemed to look in the direction of Tyler Warren.” 

Franklin did add some new players. For example, Luke Reynolds, who, as per the analyst, “become an emergent star at the tight end spot with the absence of Warren.” But here comes some sage piece of advice for the HC. “We cannot lose sight of the massive departures on both sides of the ball.” Already, a problem looms large shrouding the Happy Valley.  

James Franklin’s WR woes are yet to have an expiry date

Looks like Franklin is yet to let go of his wide receiver room woes. Back in 2023, their leading receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was phased out of the team’s plans before the Peach Bowl. Yes, with this he left behind a big void. However, Franklin and his new offensive coordinator back then, Andy Kotelnicki hoped to fix the loopholes. They thus started looking for fillers. The Nittany Lions started to count on Harrison Wallace III, Liam Clifford, Omari Evans, and incoming transfer Julian Fleming. But 2024 came with a grounding alert. Their wide receivers recorded just 10 catches combined in the three most important games. 

Josh Pate on his podcast initially sounded all confident, “Elsewhere, I’m good. If I’m Penn State, I got four or five linemen returning. I got two top-10 tailbacks returning. I’m gonna be good where I’m normally good.” But Franklin can not hit the settle button yet. The analyst stated, “I don’t know what the post-spring portal is gonna look like, but they have got to be in there. They have to be the shark fin in there, looking for receivers.” The Nittany Lions lost 10 players to the NCAA transfer portal during the off-season. 

However, now that his wide receivers room is in shambles, it’s going to make things difficult for James Franklin’s QB Drew Allar. The QB already ticks off all the boxes on the checklist. On The Ruffino & Joe Show, the analysts stated, “Drew Allar has all the goods. He has every tool that you look for in a franchise quarterback, an elite college quarterback—big arm, big frame, deceptively mobile.” But having the tools aren’t enough. He needs support. Time is ticking—can Franklin tighten the bolts on a championship-winning team?