FILE - Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles watches from the sideline during an NCAA college football game between Boise State and Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. The Buckeyes have a new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, who had transformed Oklahoma State’s defense and last year was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

When it comes to recruiting, James Franklin rarely takes a backseat.

He proved that again Sunday when he lured Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, to Penn State.

Of course, money helped.

Franklin has often talked about being “aligned” with Penn State’s administration, specifically Athletic Director Pat Kraft, President Neeli Bendapudi and the Board of Trustees’ core leadership.

And it’s clear the Nittany Lions’ leadership is all in – at just about any cost.

With a three-year, $9.3 million contact, Knowles will become the highest-paid assistant coach in college football. He surpasses LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who earned $2.5 million last year, according to USA Today.

“Join me in welcoming Jim Knowles back to his home in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the defensive coordinator of Penn State football,” Franklin said. “He’s a strong strategist and excellent defensive mind. He reflects the core values our culture of excellence is built upon. We look forward to having Jim and his family join us in Happy Valley.”

With money exploding in college sports, for both coaches and athletes, Penn State – which once was known in part for modest salaries – obviously doesn’t mind being the new trendsetter.

Especially if it means weakening the Big Ten Conference brother that it hasn’t been able to beat.

Knowles, 59, was a key figure in Ohio State’s march to the 2024 national championship, clinched just over a week ago with the Buckeyes’ victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff final on Jan. 20.

The Ohio State defense was ranked tops in the country in several categories.

Knowles earned a reported base salary of $2.2 million last year plus bonuses that took him to $3 million.

As Knowles, a Philadelphia native, was being wooed by not only Penn State but Oklahoma and Notre Dame as well, Ohio State was trying to keep him.

But reports indicate that the Buckeyes were only willing to raise him to $2.75 million. (Forgive my “only” reference).

That probably helped Knowles make up his mind, along with reports of staff tension in Columbus. Over the weekend, as negotiations were heating up – or winding down – Knowles was told not to attend the Buckeyes’ CFP celebration parade on Sunday afternoon.

That’s according to Brett McMurphy, a plugged-in national reporter from the Action Network.

“I am excited for this opportunity to join Penn State football,” Knowles said. “I would like to thank Coach Franklin, Pat Kraft and President Neeli Bendapudi for this opportunity to be the defensive coordinator at Penn State. I have always had a ton of respect for Coach Franklin and the program he has built here. I look forward to working with this tremendous staff and group of student-athletes and am ready to get to work.”

Knowles will replace Tom Allen, who coordinated Penn State’s defense for one year and then bolted for the DC job at Clemson, where he got a $500,000 pay bump after earning $1.5 in Happy Valley in 2024.

Allen had a three-year contract but has family living in the Carolinas, which may have been a tipping point. Another tipping point may have been Allen was moved to the press box early in the season after the defense got off an uneven start.

On top of that, the Lion defense, though nationally ranked, did not play well when it mattered most in two of PSU’s losses (Oregon and Notre Dame).

Safeties coach (and co-defensive coordinator) Anthony Poindexter was mentioned as a candidate to replace Allen, but it’s been reported that Poindexter supports Knowles and will also be receiving a pay increase.

This is college football’s new world.

Like Ohio State paid $20 million to keep its roster together for the past season, Penn State returned from its toe-stubbing in the Orange Bowl by making sure all its top players (Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant, Zakee Wheatley) would be back for 2025.

Translation: Money.

Now it’s handing Knowles the keys to a Brink’s.

Football success has long been traced not so much to the Xs and Os but the Jimmys and Joes.

Well, Penn State has just landed another Jimmy.

Let’s see if he can take the Nittany Lions to where, based on the money they’re spending, we all should expect: The national championship.

Neil Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.