Jim Knowles made a rare move by leaving Ohio State — just after the Buckeyes won the national championship — to join Big Ten rival Penn State. His decision, confirmed on Jan. 27, wasn’t a surprise to his players, though, as the defensive coordinator had already talked to them about it beforehand.
Ohio State’s Caleb Downs on Jim Knowles’ Departure
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs shared at an NIL collective autograph event that Knowles had given him a heads-up about the move:
“He told me before. He hit me up about it. I respect him for being honest with us. … At the end of the day, time moves on. … I respect all he’s done for the team, all the decisions, and the time that he’s put in, especially with the seniors. I just wish him the best.”
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Downs, who recorded 81 tackles and defended six passes for OSU after transferring from Alabama in 2024, was disappointed by the news but had nothing but good things to say about Knowles. “He was a really good DC. He taught us a lot. He taught me a lot about football and how to call games. I learned a lot from him. So I appreciate him for that.”
He further expressed confidence in his team despite the absence of the veteran coach:
“The team is still going to be as strong, and the coaching staff is still very experienced.”
Knowles, a cornerstone of Ohio State’s defense, saw the team to a national title win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff and is moving to Penn State with a reported salary of $3 million annually. Giving his reason for the decision, he said in a video released by the program on Jan. 27:
“We had like three channels on TV and you got up Sunday morning and you watched the Penn State highlights because I grew up in Philly. … Penn State was everything. It was everything.
“That’s what we aspired to be. I couldn’t get there as a player, but through a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of really good players, that allowed me to reach that point in my career where I could pick wherever I really wanted to be. Growing up as a kid, Penn State was everything and this is where I want to be.”
The Penn State roots run deep.#WeAre x @CoachJimKnowles pic.twitter.com/3vgLYwRlmJ
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 28, 2025
With the Buckeyes, Knowles helped lead a defense that ranked first in the nation in scoring defense (12.9 points per game) and total defense (254.6 yards per game) in 2024.
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