One key issue the Penn State Nittany Lions will encounter during the program’s search for a new head coach.

The Penn State Nittany Lions, after a horrific 3-3 start to the 2025 college football season, will now begin the process of finding a new head coach after the firing of head coach James Franklin earlier this week.

It’s clear that the head coaching position at Penn State would be an ideal fit for any coach, given the ample resources within the program.

However, depending on who the athletic director Pat Kraft ultimately decides to hire, the head coach for the Nittany Lions must figure out a way to revamp the Nittany Lions' recruiting class, especially for the next two seasons.

After Franklin finished with the No. 6 recruiting class during the 2022 cycle, which featured three five-star commits, his efforts took a dramatic hit in the following classes. While Penn State remained in the top-20 amongst all FBS schools from 2023 to 2025, Franklin was unable to sign a five-star recruit during the stretch, according to 247Sports’ Composite.

In addition to the former head coach’s struggles to repeat his success from 2022, the Nittany Lions will now have to find a way to get the recruiting efforts back on track in the current cycle.

Since the announcement of Franklin’s firing, the Nittany Lions have lost a total of seven commits, with three of the recruits being part of the 2026 class. The list includes 2026 four-star wide receiver Davion Brown, along with 2027 five-star prospects Kemon Spell and Layton Von Brandt.

Unfortunately for the program, this devastating run will likely continue throughout the 2025 college football season. The brutal setback will become a challenge for the new head coach who takes the position.

To make matters worse, most of the candidates that are in the mix to become the next head coach are coming from smaller schools, which means the 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes do not have high-caliber recruits that could follow the coach. Outside of Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss) and Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), none of the coaches and their programs land within the top 25 of the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ Composite.

• Curt Cignetti (Indiana): No. 27
• Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri): No. 31
• Bill O’Brien (Boston College): No. 36
• Matt Campbell (Iowa State): No. 56

In an ideal world, Kraft would be able to poach Freeman, who has asserted himself as a top coach in college football. But with the odds being slim for Penn State to steal the Notre Dame head coach, the program must understand that the 2026 class will not meet the typical standards.

Luckily for the Nittany Lions, the NIL era has paved the way for teams to use the transfer portal to build a roster. The portal will have huge implications for the program’s next head coach, as it will help to rebuild the starting lineup that will take a significant hit from the 2026 NFL Draft and the departure of Franklin.