"Proud" James Franklin pens a strong message for Penn State graduates

As the academic year comes to a close, Penn State is celebrating the accomplishments of its newest alumni, including an exceptional group of student-athletes, 166 of whom graduated during the university’s commencement ceremonies on Saturday. Added to the 33 who earned their degrees during the winter ceremonies, the total number stands at 199.

Among those honoring the graduates was Penn State football coach James Franklin, who posed for a photo, beaming alongside several students and shared an inspiring message for them.

“Couldn't be more proud of these #PennState GRADUATES,” Franklin tweeted on Saturday. “Congratulations on this major accomplishment, you earned it! #WeAreProud”

Franklin's message reflects the deep care he has for his players, as evidenced by his earlier comments on "Next Up." In April, the coach, who has been with the team for more than a decade now, sat down with Adam Breneman and said:

“I care so much about the kids, and their journey, and their experience, and what — I know you know this better than anybody — the Penn State experience can do for them over this next 50 years."

Per the school's website, Penn State's student-athletes posted a 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate, which tied the school's all-time record.

---

CFB analyst ranks James Franklin's Penn State as No. 1 team ahead of 2025 season

The Nittany Lions finished their 2024 campaign with a 13-3 record, going 8-1 in the Big Ten. As the 2025 season gets closer, many are excited about what the team could achieve this year, including college football analyst Joel Klatt, who crowned the team to the No. 1 spot on his top 25 list.

On Monday’s episode of his podcast, Klatt said:

“I like this team. I like this team a lot. The last hurdle Penn State has, Penn State has proven, really for a number of years, they will absolutely take care of business. They will beat the teams that they should beat.”

However, Klatt also shared his concerns about the team and the difficulty it faces in big games.

“What we haven’t seen from Penn State is them rise up and win the game that I would call a matchup game. When they’re looking across, and the talent is equated, and they may even be a bit of an underdog, can they win that game? Because up until this point, they haven’t.”

To expound on his point, he mentioned a troubling stat: under coach James Franklin, the Nittany Lions are just 4-20 against teams ranked in the AP Top 10.

Still, Klatt remains hopeful about their chances of winning the championship this upcoming season.

The Nittany Lions will open their 2025 season at home on Aug. 30 against the Nevada Wolf Pack.