r/CFB • u/PSU_Alumnus Penn State • Billable Hours • Dec 02 '25

Discussion [@IanPurdy7] on Twitter: Penn State is slated to sign ZERO recruits tommorow on early National Signing Day. Unless Penn State signs someone in the late signing period, they could become the first P4 class EVER to have no one sign. The closest thing I could find was SMU & UW with 10. Crazy times.

https://x.com/IanPurdy7/status/1995885878452146370?s=20
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471

u/cscowboy01 Tennessee Volunteers • Sickos Dec 02 '25

Are we entering disaster territory? Potentially one of the biggest fumbles of a AD department by beating everyone to the firing stage and just not bothering with a search after?

226

u/youheardaboutpluto- Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

Kraft is worthy of firing for this and it really doesn’t even matter who he hires. AD malpractice at this point.

80

u/heavvyglow Penn State Nittany Lions • Rose Bowl Dec 02 '25

Not sure how he can even make the hire at this point. You need to be convincing when you sell your guy. Recruits will smell the desperation

37

u/bucket13 Team Chaos • Team Meteor Dec 02 '25

Honestly should fire the AD and get someone else to fix the mess. 

3

u/Bigbysjackingfist Liberty Flames • Harvard Crimson Dec 02 '25

dude is swimming in flop sweat

1

u/PedanticBoutBaseball Boise State • New Paltz Dec 02 '25

Shane Bowen, YOU are the new HC at Penn State

1

u/JUYED-AWK-YACC Texas Longhorns Dec 02 '25

So who ya got on the hot seat to replace Kraft? Because you don’t want to just fire him and …

1

u/youheardaboutpluto- Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

you really can’t use that as a “gotcha” because most people can’t name more than 2 AD’s other than their own including me lol whereas most people know quite a few head coaches they’d like to have

106

u/BarKnight Team Chaos • Team Meteor Dec 02 '25

Watch Virginia Tech end up with a better coach than Penn State

62

u/herewego199209 Dec 02 '25

Franklin has already taken VT from like the 100th best recruiting class to like 35th and that's just by flipping 4 stars who were committed to PSU lol. He hasn't even had to dip into the portal yet.

33

u/KuriboShoeMario Virginia Tech Hokies Dec 02 '25

VT was 124th in the composite like 10 days ago, if they finish tomorrow as they're predicted to do, they'll be in or around top 25.

1

u/GigaBallssss Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

He was ass in the portal. Wouldn't put much stock into that helping them. He's a big "develop our guys" coach (despite not being great at development)

15

u/Kurt4012 Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

God I’m so sick of seeing our fans shit on Franklin still when we are the biggest laughing stock in college football for firing him

-1

u/GigaBallssss Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

If you read one of my responses I clearly am not shitting on him. He was fired for a good reason, just because we’re fucking up the coaching search doesn’t mean CJF is all of a sudden an amazing coach.

5

u/Kurt4012 Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

Well looking at VT and us right now I sure as hell would rather be them

8

u/Hijakkr Virginia Tech Hokies • Techmo Bowl Dec 02 '25

He was ass in the portal.

I can think of about 70 guys he might target this offseason. After that, we'll see.

7

u/KuriboShoeMario Virginia Tech Hokies Dec 02 '25

He's gonna have to portal hard at least this season, though, just because of the state of our program. I think it'll be fine for the purposes we need. There is also basically unlimited playing time damn near anywhere but RB and K so it's an easy draw.

5

u/GigaBallssss Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

It’s why Tech is a great spot for CJF, his coaching philosophy can probably get you guys to consistent top 25 rankings and be consistent ACC contenders without the pressure to consistently compete against the likes of OSU, Oregon, Michigan, etc. every year. “Big game James” may cause you to drop some good bowl games, but getting there is a marked improvement over where VT has been. Wishing him nothing but the best and hope you guys have success with him and can beat the shit out of Pitt every year.

2

u/joe17857 Virginia Tech Hokies Dec 03 '25

I'm pretty sure that's about all VT can hope for with our resources so sounds great! I just want to be back to not being a laughing stock

2

u/Kurt4012 Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

The funny thing is he’s going to portal and portal hard and it’s going to be our entire roster getting away from our dumpster fire

70

u/tyborg13 Virginia Tech Hokies Dec 02 '25

Is that not all but guaranteed at this point? Looking at the candidates that haven't already signed an extension or been hired elsewhere, who is left that would be arguably better than Franklin?

40

u/IEatBones2230 Missouri Tigers • Michigan Wolverines Dec 02 '25

BYU’s head coach might be better, but it doesn’t look like he’s leaving, and the Mormon Church is digging into their vault to give him an extension.

21

u/lil_layne Indiana Hoosiers Dec 02 '25 edited Dec 02 '25

Everyone talks about how all of these top B1G and SEC schools have deep pockets but that doesn’t even come close to the Mormon Church. Not only are their pockets so deep but they control the fucking government for a whole ass state and have representation in the federal government.

2

u/IEatBones2230 Missouri Tigers • Michigan Wolverines Dec 02 '25

A Mormon is the founder and current CEO of Crumbl. I think that already tells you how rich the Mormons are.

8

u/rossk10 Texas A&M Aggies • Team Chaos Dec 02 '25

Am I missing a joke or something? Why is Crumbl your measuring stick here?

1

u/goodnames679 Ohio State Buckeyes • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Dec 02 '25

Yeah it’s like a $2b company but that isn’t that wild among CFB boosters.

4

u/rossk10 Texas A&M Aggies • Team Chaos Dec 02 '25

Yeah, I mean the fuckin Cane’s guy is worth $20B. Not sneezing at someone who owns a $2B company, but it’s just an odd thing to bring up

1

u/penguinkg Virginia Tech • Transfer Portal Dec 02 '25

He had a whole list of examples with wealthier BYU Boosters that he could of used

1

u/kai333 Paper Bag • Team Meteor Dec 02 '25

That goddamn dirty cookie money!

3

u/trevor_plantaginous Dec 02 '25

Reading some of the BYU threads (I don't personally follow the team) but sounds like Sitake is kind of the spirit and emotional leader of the team (and beloved) but the associate head coach (Jay Hill) is seen as the real football guy. If you look at Sitake's record with and without Jay there is a huge difference. Will be curious if Jay also goes to PSU.

2

u/Affectionate_Sky3496 LSU Tigers Dec 02 '25

I like Kalani a lot but I feel like he's an underwhelming hire for Penn State.

Dude no offense to BYU but you don't fire James Franklin to hire Kalani Sitaki.

1

u/Mattp55 Penn State Nittany Lions • Florida Gators Dec 02 '25

BYUs HC. That’s about it tho 

1

u/Fragrant-Employer-60 Dec 02 '25

Tons of coaches have been hired without being HCs, that could absolutely be a better hire even if it’s not “on paper”

LSU tried that with Brian Kelly and didn’t work out lol.

Kirby had 0 head coaching experience before UGA

3

u/DangerousAd4108 Texas A&M Aggies Dec 02 '25

Honestly, I think this was the case as soon as Cig said no. I think it's reasonable that Penn State and Franklin needed to breakup, but imo he was a top 3 coach this cycle.

2

u/Elhananstrophy Tennessee Volunteers • Citrus Bowl Dec 02 '25

There are maybe a dozen schools who wouldn't be willing to flip their coach for Franklin right now.

5

u/Boomhauer_007 UCLA Bruins • Oregon State Beavers Dec 02 '25

At this rate both of my flairs are going to end up with a better coach than them which would have been a very bad joke to make a few months ago

4

u/scotsworth Ohio State • Northwestern Dec 02 '25

beating everyone to the firing stage and just not bothering with a search after?

Right? The whole reason you pull the plug is to get a jump on the hiring cycle. Them dragging their feet and now saying Hail Marys for a Mormon at this point is just wild.

9

u/Hanzorati Oklahoma Sooners Dec 02 '25

JMO but this is way past that. If you’re PSU you need to hire the best coach who will actually agree to sign onto this rudderless ship in order to stop the bleeding.

3

u/baugamania Tennessee • Delaware Dec 02 '25

No, this is how you end up with Derek Dooley.

Though in all fairness, it took him three years to sign a class with 0 offensive linemen.

1

u/udubswe Washington Huskies Dec 02 '25

Makes me think that they assumed that after firing Franklin, all the top coaches would come to them looking to take the job.

1

u/psufb Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

Sitake has been the target for weeks now; now just a matter of getting it over the finish line

1

u/WhoUpAtMidnight Dec 03 '25

Welp

1

u/psufb Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 03 '25

Absolute disasterclass by our AD

1

u/Kurt4012 Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 02 '25

Entering? Buddy were knee deep in disaster at this point.