After a dreadful 3-4 start for the Penn State Nittany Lions, it’s safe to say the program has failed to meet the high expectations set for the 2025 season under head coach James Franklin.

This horrific season led to Franklin being fired following the team’s loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, with interim head coach Terry Smith stepping in to fill the void. Luckily for fans, there is hope that athletic director Pat Kraft could land a perfect head coach to revamp the program in 2026.

However, there was one name that was a consensus leader amongst the fanbase to take the job that is now out of the picture.

According to Pete Thamel on Thursday, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have reached an agreement with head coach Matt Rhule on a two-year extension, which includes a $15 million buyout that eliminates him from Penn State’s head coach search.

Rhule, a former player for the Nittany Lions in the mid-1990s, was a clear-cut favorite to land the coaching gig due to his rich history with the program. Despite his failure at the NFL level, the 50-year-old coach has an excellent college resume throughout his time with Temple, Baylor, and Nebraska.

As the leader of the Cornhuskers, Rhule has managed to change the trajectory of the program this season, with the fellow Big 10 Conference member possessing a 6-2 record in 2025. His ability to recruit at a high level while being a player-friendly coach made him a perfect fit for Penn State.

Now, Kraft must look elsewhere for his next head coach, leaving the Nittany Lions in a rough spot after the 2025 college football season.

In addition to losing out on Rhule, Penn State now has to compete against the likes of LSU and Florida to find a coach, as both teams have fired their respective head coaches this season.

Both “blue-blood” schools offer enough resources for their next head coach, putting more pressure on the athletic department to find a new coach.

With Rhule out of the picture, the Nittany Lions should take a hard look at both Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. Drinkwitz and Campbell do not have head coaching experience with elite programs, but both candidates could look to make the jump to a well-run school such as Penn State.