Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Either way, it was clear that high school recruiting wasn't a big consideration when Kraft made the decision to fire Franklin on Oct. 12. It's possible that Kraft didn't antici- pate the extent of the fallout. It's also possible that he expected to have a new coach in place before the signing pe- riod opened, easing the uncertainty that prospects and their parents were facing when they mulled whether to stick with Penn State. Either way, though, it was obvious from October onward that Kraft was more concerned with the impending transfer portal window in January than with the early signing period. The Nit- tany Lions went into the search deter- mined to get their guy. If the timing of the hire meant that the 2026 class would end up being d i m i n i s h e d , t h a t was a price PSU was willing to pay. I t 's n o s e c r e t that Kraft would prefer to bring a new model to PSU's football program, one with a truly separate general manager. Oklahoma has found success with this model since hiring Jim Nagy. USC has done the same with Chad Bowden in that role. It was thought by some that Kraft was aiming to hire someone currently work- ing in an NFL personnel department. The Lions would most likely have used that approach if they had been able to close the deal with Sitake or if they had hired Bob Chesney of James Madison (and now UCLA). In the end, Penn State chose Matt Campbell from Iowa State. Campbell brought in his general manager with the Cyclones, Derek Hoodjer. It wasn't a surprising move; some coaches like to bring their guys along. That's what Franklin did in November when he con- vinced Andy Frank to join him at Vir- ginia Tech. Frank had been Franklin's general manager of personnel and re- cruitment at Penn State and had served in a similar capacity at Vanderbilt. Franklin, like a lot of coaches, wants to be surrounded by people he trusts, not someone who is totally separate. Lack Of Communication Throughout Penn State's coach- ing search, BWI spoke with numerous parents who were concerned about their sons' scholarship status. Schools in PSU's position tend to avoid issu- ing guarantees, so it shouldn't surprise anyone who follows recruiting closely that the Lions weren't willing to make promises on behalf of an as-yet-un- named coach. For Penn State, that would have complicated Kraft's efforts to land a quality candidate. Even with those constraints, though, it's still possible to have an open dia- logue. We asked multiple times in recent months whether Kraft or anyone from the athletics department had taken the opportunity to speak with recruits and their parents. We were told that there was never a group videoconference in which school officials met with families to address their concerns and answer questions. It was recommended to Kraft by some of the remaining staff in the Lasch Building that he take the time to do that, but multiple parents confirmed that it never happened. Whether that was the right or wrong approach depends on who you ask. But Penn State's handling of the 2026 class offers further proof that the transfer portal was a higher priority. The only verbally committed player Kraft met in person was Ford, a four- star defensive end from Malvern Prep in Phoenixville, Pa. Their first conversa- tion took place on Nov. 21, the day be- fore Penn State faced Nebraska at Bea- ver Stadium. Recounting the exchange, Ford said he was told that PSU couldn't guarantee his scholarship was safe. "They said that if they bring someone new, it's ultimately up to him, but they said they're going to put in a good word for me," Ford said. Kraft did get back in touch with Ford and his family in early December to clarify that he could sign with Penn State. We were told the same sort of discussion took place with Falzone, a four-star quarterback from Nazareth, Pa. However, by that point in the pro- cess, it was too late to salvage the rest of the class. Money Changes Everything If there's one thing Penn State fans learned the hard way in June, it's that money played a major role in PSU missing out on a host of elite pros- pects in the 2026 cycle. Depending on who you ask, it was either a philo- sophical issue with Franklin or a lack of funds. Fo l l o w i n g h i s dismissal, BWI had discussions with a few sources who be- lieved Penn State could have been more aggressive financially with some of the prospects it was pursuing. However, it's important to note that others have pushed back on that claim. It's no secret that Penn State in- vested a lot of money into this year's roster, hoping that another College Football Playoff run would help it flip some of those top prospects on the back end. After Franklin's dismissal, most of the committed players and their fami- lies wasted little time taking official visits elsewhere. Something we heard repeatedly was that other schools were frequently exceeding what Penn State was originally offering many in this class. Some of those differences were marginal, maybe a 10 to 20 percent in- crease. However, some others admit- ted that they stand to get more than double what they were slated to receive at Penn State. The partitioning of Penn State's fi- nancial resources seems to one area where Kraft and Franklin differed. Over "I'm not going to be naive. I know that every Power Four team has probably reached out to our student-athletes already. … I'm just go- ing to be very honest. I'm less worried about [2026] kids and more worried about my kids in the locker room right now. That's my focus." A T H L E T I C S D I R E C T O R P A T R I C K K R A F T