"Penn State really is about to go 0/10 on these players" - Notre Dame fans troll James Franklin over recruitment approach

James Franklin's Penn State made it to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. While the Nittany Lions are working toward going a few steps further to win a national title next season, they are having some trouble with their recruiting.

On Saturday, a Notre Dame fan account reposted a Penn State fan's Class of 2026 top targets list from a few weeks ago. Fans from several teams, including Notre Dame, mocked Franklin for not landing any players on it.

"Penn State really is about to go 0/10 on these players. Tough look @PSUNationRec," one tweeted.

Notre Dame Recruiting

@NDrecruiting01

LINK

Penn State really is about to go 0/10 on these players 😬

Tough look

@PSUNationRec

"They probably just don’t want to finish 3rd in the big 10 AGAIN," another added.

"If they didn’t have Franklin they land half these guys," a third commented.

Others also joined in to take digs at Penn State and Franklin.

"Brutal misses but I still don’t hate their class so far tbh. We’ve been on the other side of this. Glad it’s our year," a fan wrote.

"Yeah but their fans will say it wasn’t a committable offer," another tweeted.

"That tends to happen when your coach makes it a habit of s**ting the bed when the lights are the brightest. It wasnt enough for him to make us a punchline on the field. Now we get to be one off of it," a user added.

Despite missing out on the targets on the list, Penn State received some good news on Saturday when Marlen Bright committed to play for Penn State. The offensive lineman is on course to join Penn State as part of the 2026 class.

According to Rivals, Bright is ranked as the No. 23 offensive lineman in 2026 and the No. 223 overall recruit.

James Franklin opens up on expectations for Penn State in 2025 season

NCAA Football: Penn State HC James Franklin - Source: Imagn

James Franklin will be entering his 12th year as Penn State's coach in the 2025 season. Last month, he discussed the expectations from the team after losing to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal last season.

“I think we've got a tremendous opportunity to do some special things this year," Franklin said in an episode of 'The Triple Option' podcast on June 18. "I know you don’t want me to do this, but I am excited about our opportunity.

"I’m looking up on the screen right now, Nevada is our opening game. People are going to say, ‘Well, that’s not a big game.’ Well, lose to Nevada and find out quickly."

Franklin was hired at Penn State in January 2014. He has compiled a 101-42 record with the team across the past 11 years.

It will be interesting to see if Franklin can lead the Nittany Lions to the championship next season.