Penn State and James Franklin have been on a high this season. On Saturday afternoon, the Penn State Nittany Lions clinched their ticket into the second round of the College Football Playoff with a statement victory over the SMU Mustangs. The bonus of a bowl game with Boise State on New Year’s Eve perfectly shaped the festive season for the Big 10 giant. But they are not just winning on the field. Coach Franklin’s prudent move is also turning the page in the transfer portal movement. He reeled in Devonte Ross. But wait, did it say enough about Franklin’s recruitment prowess? Can Ross ridge the gap of their offensive woes?

Former Troy receiver Devonte Ross handpicked the Lions on Tuesday amidst a swirl of offers on his table. He joins former USC receiver Kyron Hudson and one-time Texas A&M defensive end Enai White in the Penn State 2025 portal class so far. But could he be the answer to the Nittany Lions’ low-key offense?

Providing an insight, insider Zach Seyko noted, ‘‘Ross is going to have that downfield ability, and Penn State’s going to be able to run more three wide receiver sets, so this group right now of Trey Wallace, who is now turning the corner as a veteran, Devonte Ross in the slot, and then Kyron Hudson on the other boundary, that’s a good group for Drew Allar to throw to. In addition to Khalil Dinkins, in addition to Luke Reynolds, and eventually, Andrew Rappleyea. Ross ultimately won’t be able to take over games.” It is a big reality check for those who were expecting the 5-foot-11 to be an epic game-changer, but it is what it is.

Ross amassed 76 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024 while playing for former Nittany Lions wide receivers coach and current Troy Trojans head coach Gerad Parker. His insane speed, the ability to run deep routes, and generate big fiery plays will be a priceless asset to the Nittany Lions offense, but whether or not that can improve the program’s offensive slump exposed in multiple games, including Ohio State, Michigan, and more is, however, a cause for concern. It will also partly depend on Franklin’s more portal moves and the ability to coordinate all the recruits for each other’s benefit.

”He (Ross) gives you elements to where you can do so many things because Andy Kotelnicki [OC, Penn State] is creative. So he can be a distraction, he can be a decoy, and that’s what’s interesting,” Zach Seyko drew the bottom line.

However, no matter how much you doubt the veteran Penn State coach’s offensive expertise and portal strategy, you can never doubt his philosophy.

James Franklin thinks beyond the records and numbers 

With the massive win over SMU, Franklin took his stat to 4-19 vs. top-10 teams as Penn State’s head coach. To win the national championship, Franklin must add more wins vs. top-10 teams in a month, exceeding his past 11 years’ record. But the purpose is bigger than that. The veteran coach doesn’t bother much about the records and the stats. He is rather focused on building players for their future, building a meaningful connection with people, and all those intangibles that add humane value to his resume.

”For me, the older you get, you kind of get rid of all those other things like stats and yards and stats and points and things like that. And it just really comes down to the players. It comes down to relationships. It comes down to the staff and It comes down to the staff, relationships, and development,” Coach Franklin explained a higher ideal behind his work during a pre-bowl interview.

Franklin, like a true leader, keeps a healthy balance between prioritizing his family at home and his family at work. We, for that matter, just wish that adding Devonte Ross and other recent recruits to the roster may flip the script of his offensive family at work before a staunch 2025 looms.