Penn State Fans Reveal Shocking Dark Horse Candidates to Replace James Franklin – You Won’t Believe Who Made the List!

Penn State’s 2025 campaign took a crushing nosedive from playoff dreams to harsh realities, culminating in a seismic shakeup. After a gut-wrenching one-point loss to Northwestern — marking their third straight defeat — the Nittany Lions finally pulled the plug on James Franklin’s 12-year tenure. It was a brutal end for a coach who had just been reeling from a stunning upset at the hands of winless UCLA the week before. The writing was on the wall, and by Saturday night, the axe had fallen. With associate head coach Terry Smith stepping into the breach as interim boss, the chatter among Penn State faithful on Twitter/X is already buzzing with potential successors. Here’s a rundown of the five hottest names echoing through the Nittany Lion fanbase as they look toward a new era. LEARN MORE

What started as a season with College Football Playoff aspirations for Penn State has turned into a stunning disappointment. And now, head coach James Franklin is out of a job.

Just hours after the Nittany Lions dropped their third straight game — a one-point loss to Northwestern — the school announced that it had fired Franklin after 12 seasons in Happy Valley. Franklin suddenly found himself on the hot seat after a shocking loss to winless UCLA last week. Saturday’s defeat was the final blow.

And while Penn State did name associate head coach Terry Smith as the interim replacement, Penn State fans have already thrown names around for the permanent replacement.

These five names stood out from Penn State fans on Twitter/X.