Sources - Penn State finalizing deal for Ohio State DC Jim Knowles - ESPN

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is finalizing a deal to become the new defensive coordinator at Penn State, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Knowles is expected to agree to a three-year deal that will average $3.1 million per season, which will make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. He is believed to be the first coordinator in college football to make a base salary of at least $3 million.

Knowles made a base salary of $2.2 million last season, and his compensation got close to $3 million with bonuses in the wake of Ohio State's national title run. The Buckeyes extended an offer to Knowles, sources told ESPN, that would have made him the highest-paid coordinator in the country, ahead of Michigan's Wink Martindale and LSU's Blake Baker, who are both set to earn $2.5 million next season.

Knowles also received interest from Notre Dame and Oklahoma, sources told ESPN.

He led Ohio State to the No. 1 defense in the country this past season, finishing first in total defense and scoring defense at just 12.9 points per game. The Buckeyes were No. 3 in run defense and No. 3 in passing yards allowed.

The move marks a significant maneuver within the Big Ten, as Penn State returns a sizable core of its College Football Playoff team from 2024 and should be considered among the favorites for the national title next season.

Knowles will have some key players to work with. Defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant will be linchpins, along with cornerback A.J. Harris and linebacker Tony Rojas.

The return of quarterback Drew Allar and tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, along with a strong offensive line, will be the root of Penn State's preseason optimism for 2025.

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