Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen is leaving for Clemson. Here are potential candidates to replace him.

Penn State has made a massive splash by hiring Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to take the same job with the Nittany Lions. He replaces Tom Allen, who left PSU to become Clemson’s defensive coordinator. Here are three thoughts on what Penn State hiring Knowles means moving forward.

Penn State has been on the lookout for a new defensive coordinator for the past two weeks. That is how long ago Tom Allen decided to leave Penn State after one year to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson. So what exactly has been taking Penn State so long to name his replacement on James Franklin’s staff?

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson has hired Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen for the same role with the Tigers, a move that was finalized Tuesday by the school’s Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.

James Franklin must hire his third Nittany Lion defensive coordinator in four years after Tom Allen leaves for Clemson.

Penn State has hired Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator after he helped Ohio State win the national championship, according to multiple reports. The Buckeyes had hoped to keep the 59-year-old Knowles, who also was pursued by Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

Penn State has lured Tom Knowles away from Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have hired Knowles to serve as their defensive coordinator.

The Penn State Board of Trustees committee on equity and human resources, the group tasked with approving high-paying university contracts, met Monday morning for a “personnel matter.” In a meeting that started at 8 a.