The short answer to this question is yes, Notre Dame definitely played a part in Penn State opting to move on from head coach James Franklin.
However, there are more than a few details which the Irish helped push Franklin out the door starting with the loss in the College Football Playoff. While it seemed like a golden opportunity for him to squash the idea that he can’t win the big game, Notre Dame’s fourth quarter comeback shut that door. It was another loss that compounded a massive issue for the former Nittany Lions head coach as he went just 15-30 against top-25 teams, and an abysmal 4-21 against top-10 teams according to this post on social media.
Advertisement
Not only that, Notre Dame stole away the Pennsylvania’s top 2026 recruit in safety Joey O’Brien, who hasn’t wavered on his verbal even after PSU kept contacting him. The Irish also landed Pennsylvania offensive lineman Tyler Merrill, who had a Penn State offer.
They’ve been trying to flip a few of the Nittany Lions 2027 commits, one in running back Kemon Spell who decommitted following the news on Sunday, but had already been wavering on his commitment. Notre Dame did put the nail in the coffin for Franklin, Northwestern did that this weekend, but they surely did contribute to the decision to part ways with the head coach.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Advertisement
Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Did Notre Dame play a factor in Penn State firing James Franklin?
