Franklin Embraces Offseason Process, Praises Transfer, Confirms New Commitment in First 2022 Presser
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the 2021-22 season in the rearview mirror, Penn State head football coach James Franklin emphasized his year-round duty to the program in his media availability Wednesday after another signing day.
On what is his 50th birthday, Franklin discussed espousing the new transfer rules, applauding those transfers, being a role model for hiring minority coaches and also hinted at a potential increase in his staff.
Regarding the future of the quarterback position, he did not confirm that Sean Clifford would be the starter next season.
“It’s more challenging at any position to unseat a returning starter who’s been doing it for a couple years,” Franklin said. “But there’s competition across the board at every single position, and you rebuild your team every single year.”
Whoever starts under center in the blue and white will have a new player to target in wide receiver transfer Mitchell Tinsley.
Franklin said he’s overly inspired by the fifth-year’s character and dedication after a conversation with Tinsley’s former head coach Tyson Helton at Western Kentucky.
“He could not have gone on and on and on about more positive things about that young man,” Franklin said. “[And] when guys transfer, that’s not always the case.”
Franklin said he’s mostly impressed with the fact that Tinsley played in Western Kentucky’s bowl game yet has been 100% locked into Penn State since arriving on campus in January.
He used Tinsley as an example as to why he’s embraced college football’s new transfer system, even though he said it’s not what he prefers.
Franklin implied potentially upping his staff to account for the portal, mentioning that other programs have separate departments for both high school and transfer recruiting.
“Once I’ve embraced [the new transfer rules and NIL], I have to do a great job of educating and explaining to all the people that have a hand in Penn State football … that they understand what we’re competing against currently,” Franklin said. “I think we’ve made some dramatic changes.”
A change Franklin highlighted was recruiting on a more national level, and he has done just that when he announced that offensive lineman Olaivavega “Vega” Ioane signed with the program after decommitting from the University of Washington in December.
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound native of Graham, Washington announced his commitment during Franklin’s presser. The head coach said he was “really excited” about his three-star recruit and his future with the team.
Franklin was also asked about his role in hiring minority coaches at the collegiate level.
The question comes in light of the news Tuesday that former Dolphins coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL, the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins after he found out the Giants interviewed him for their head coaching vacancy after the organization had already decided to hire Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
Franklin said he wants to set a good example for not only college football, but sports in general in terms of hiring minority coaches.
He said he has a responsibility to set up minority coaches for even better success and opportunities, pointing to his former running backs coach and special teams coordinator Charles Huff securing Marshall’s head coaching gig last year.
“From a reality standpoint, the fact that it’s 2022, and we’re still having these discussions, and there hasn’t been a whole lot of progress is somewhat crazy,” Franklin said. “When you see some of the things that are going on behind the scenes, that’s concerning … I think there’s been some policies and some plans to try to help with that, but at the end of the day, those things haven’t made much of an impact. So I think we really got to get down to the core issues.”
Franklin concluded the press conference by joking about his invitation into the over-50 club, saying that he’s not one of the youngest coaches in college football anymore like he was at Vanderbilt.
“I don’t know what happened, but that’s not the case anymore,” Franklin said. “Fifty is the new 30.”
Jack McCune is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jxm1237@psu.edu.
