James Franklin swung for the fences. Penn State empowered him to do. Now, the Nittany Lions are on the verge of making perhaps the biggest move of the entire coaching cycle. Several sources tell FootballScoop that Penn State is working to finalize a deal with vaunted defensive coordinator Jim Knowles,

The Nittany Lions are set to hire Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the same position, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. He has yet to officially sign a contract with PSU.

The former Ohio State and Oklahoma State defensive coordinator has reportedly accepted a job at Penn State, according to Griffin Media's Toby Rowland.

Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin seeks to make a bold move by hiring Jim Knowles, the architect of the Ohio State Buckeyes' championship defense.

“Reliable sources confirm that barring last second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State,” Rowland wrote. “He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly.”