After weeks of rumors about the Sooners pursuing Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, a report suggests that he'll be going elsewhere.

Ohio State’s defensive coordinator is celebrating winning a national championship with a new contract — from one of their rivals.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are riding high off a national championship season in which the defense was phenomenal throughout the year. Now, it appears that the defense is about to be shaken up. According to a report by Toby Rowland the voice of the Oklahoma Sooners,

Ohio State football will host its national championship celebration Sunday. After that, perhaps there will finally be a decision made by Jim Knowles, whom Oklahoma covets for its DC vacancy.

Oklahoma State’s former defensive mastermind is getting richer with his latest move. On Sunday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is leaving the Buckeyes to take the same position at Penn State.

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.

The Philadelphia native and St. Joseph’s Prep alum will become Penn State ’s next defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports on Sunday. Knowles has been with Ohio State since 2022, and reportedly will be the highest-paid coordinator in college football history. The deal, according to ESPN, is worth $3.1 million over three years.

The departure of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles adds a challenge for Ohio State, which was already dealing with heavy roster turnover on defense.

Jim Knowles has formally accepted a defensive coordinator job away from Ohio State, according to multiple reports.

A celebration of Ohio State’s national championship drew around 30,000 fans to Ohio Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is finalizing a three-year deal to become the new defensive coordinator at Penn State, according to multiple reports.

Deal will make Knowles nation’s top paid assistant From Mirror reports James Franklin often talks about Penn State being “bold and aggressive.” He pulled off such a move on Sunday with the report that Jim Knowles was being hired as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator and rewarding him with a three-year contract worth $3.