However, despite his many detours, Knowles is at his heart a Pennsylvanian—a Philadelphian to be exact. Addressing Penn State in a video released by the school Tuesday morning,

It appears that Knowles didn't take long to shuck his scarlet red colors and put on the blue and white at Penn State, taking aim at the conference leaders. It's a huge get for Penn State, who already had one of the most productive defenses in the nation last year, and now adds arguably the top defensive coordinator in the sport to the mix in 2025.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith runs in for a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of play in the 2025 CFP National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, January 20, 2025. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator said in an address to Penn State players that the Nittany Lions were 'everything' to him growing up

In hiring Jim Knowles, Penn State followed the adage: If you can't beat them, turn them to your side. While everyone in college football is already talking about Penn State's new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, it's possible that not everyone is realizing how much his betrayal of Ohio State benefits his new club.

Maybe it was mostly about showing him the money, but if Jim Knowles loved working at Ohio State, leaving for Penn State was a funny way of showing it.

Penn State introduced new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to the staff this week after prying him away from Ohio State. There appears to be much drama

The Nittany Lions reportedly made the former Ohio State assistant college football's highest-paid defensive coordinator.

Ohio State was on top of the college football world just days ago, celebrating a national title in Atlanta. The Buckeyes' defense was dominant all season, allowing just 12.9 points

The Ohio State Buckeyes are fresh off winning the program's ninth national championship and have already turned their attention to defending their title in 2025. In the days following the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff Championship Game triumph,

Athletic director Joe Castiglione said Thursday the OU football program is in the midst of searching for a defensive coordinator, and general manager.