However, despite his many detours, Knowles is at his heart a Pennsylvanian—a Philadelphian to be exact. Addressing Penn State in a video released by the school Tuesday morning,

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith runs in for a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of play in the 2025 CFP National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, January 20, 2025. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

In hiring Jim Knowles, Penn State followed the adage: If you can't beat them, turn them to your side. While everyone in college football is already talking about Penn State's new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, it's possible that not everyone is realizing how much his betrayal of Ohio State benefits his new club.