James Franklin, the long-time Penn State Nittany Lions head coach, is in a redemption mode. And why would he not be? His team was just inches from reaching the Natty final when the Irish crushed their route. Otherwise, their season was still quite successful as they finished at 13-3 and made it all the way to the semifinal of the playoffs.

But, in the setback against the Irish and the other two games they lost, they might have gained something crucial. It’s nothing other than perspective to win, make amends, and come back stronger the next season. Mind you. They have got all the ingredients to do the same. In veterans like Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and their 1,000+ yard rusher Kaytron Allen. Other than that, James Franklin has also found his last piece in the 2025 season puzzle.

Yes, it is the potential hiring of their running backs coach, Stan Drayton. John Brice of FootballScoop reported that the former Temple head coach is the most likely candidate to become the RBs coach at James Franklin’s camp. While the overall buzz around his hiring is quite positive and optimistic, there are also some concerns regarding his past ‘poor’ record. JR, the host of the Big Ten Huddle Podcast, dismissed the concerns and provided the reasoning.

“It’s important to note that when it comes to being a running back coach, Drayton is in a league of his own. Those critics won’t point out his track record, right? Coaching players like Ezekiel Elliott, Carlos Hyde, Brian Westbrook, and even the legendary Bajon Robinson. It becomes clear that Drayton’s true calling is developing top-tier talent in the running back room.”

It was actually true. He has a rich history of developing top running backs. Just imagine what he can do with the Nittany Lions when they already have a top-tier RB room in college football. Moreover, Dayton’s talents are not only limited to coaching.

This is because he also has a track record of being a top recruiter. This is the same coach who brought Bijan Robinson to Texas State. When he was heavily favored to join Ohio State. Furthermore, he also brought Cam Newton (QB) to Florida Gators, who later joined Auburn to have an incredible season in 2010 when they finished unbeaten.

Stan even recruited the duo of Maurkice and Mike Pouncey; they also had great careers in college football. His recruitment exploits are quite well-known and extensively praised. So he will be an asset in that department, too, apart from his coaching prowess. Moving on, despite all the recruitment wins for James Franklin, there may be a potential problem in a locker on the recruitment front.

Bill Belichick poaching a top Penn State prospect?

Penn State and James Franklin have consistently produced some very good recruitment classes over the years. In their 2025 class, they have added 27 commits and 6 transfers, ranking them 4th in B1G (per On3). Their 2026 class also looks quite good, with decent firepower being added gradually. Currently, it is ranked 3rd in the B1G with excellent blue-chip prospects like 4-star Kevin Brown (IOL), Messiah Mickens (RB), and Troy Huhn (QB). But it seems Bill Belichick and several other coaches are after one of them to potentially make the player decommit.

According to Steve Wiltfong, teams like North Carolina and South Carolina are after the 4-star RB prospect Messiah Mickens. The potential move was on the cards potentially due to the departure of their RB coach, Ja’ Juan Seider, to Notre Dame. Messiah Mickens is ranked 107th nationally and 10th in his position and has got an On3 rating of 92.02. Penn State Nation will only hope that Franklin and Stan Drayton ultimately convince the player to remain at their camp.