The Ohio State Buckeyes are still navigating the aftershocks of their championship triumph, but instead of basking in glory, the program finds itself dealing with a mass exodus, coaching shake-ups, and resurfacing internal tensions.
Ryan Day’s squad has been hit from all directions. The NFL Draft and transfer portal have gutted the roster, sending stars like QB Will Howard, DEs Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, WR Emeka Egbuka, and RB TreVeyon Henderson to the pros. Meanwhile, key players like OL George Fitzpatrick, Zen Michalski, and DT Hero Kanu have sought opportunities elsewhere.
But it’s not just the players packing their bags—Ohio State’s coaching staff has been decimated. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly bolted for the Las Vegas Raiders, and defensive mastermind Jim Knowles made the bold jump to Penn State.
Knowles’ departure didn’t just create a vacuum in Ohio State’s defensive strategy—it also reignited whispers of a rift between him and long-time defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Was there bad blood brewing behind the scenes? A recent Penn State insider revelation has added fuel to the fire.
The Jim Knowles-Larry Johnson Clash: Fact or Fiction?
For years, Jim Knowles has been known as a defensive mastermind, an architect of chaos who thrives on complex schemes and unique defensive formations. His philosophy isn’t just about stopping offenses—it’s about confusing, overwhelming, and dismantling them.
That approach was evident in his time at Oklahoma State, where he relied on multiple defensive fronts to disrupt opponents. When he arrived at Ohio State in 2022, he tried to introduce his signature “Jack” linebacker-hybrid position, using Jack Sawyer as a key chess piece. But the experiment didn’t exactly go as planned.
Reports began surfacing about philosophical disagreements between Knowles and Larry Johnson, a legendary defensive line coach who has long emphasized a four-man front built around elite pass rushers.
Now, a Nittany Lions insider known as T-Frank has revealed that Knowles continued to evolve his hybrid-defender philosophy at Penn State, possibly as a response to his Ohio State experience.
“There were these hybrid players in Jim Knowles’ system. There’s one hybrid idea that evolved from one position to the other through force, essentially, circumstance. Well, I’m locked out of using this guy. How do I get that into my defense? And then we see the evolution, the iteration going into Caleb Downs being that special player, doing those hybrid-style roles but from a different place and from a different concept,” T-Frank explained.
His comments suggest that Knowles wasn’t fully able to implement his vision at Ohio State, potentially due to resistance from other coaches—Johnson being the primary suspect.
Larry Johnson Breaks His Silence
With speculation running wild, Larry Johnson had no choice but to set the record straight. Was there truly tension between him and Knowles? Had Ohio State’s coaching staff been at odds over defensive strategy?
According to Johnson, the answer is a resounding no.
“That’s what you thought, right? And so we looked at that. I was looking for a 3-4 defense. But you’ve got to remember, we have all these 4-3 guys here. And so you have to change. The way you recruit, you’ve got to change the defense, the scheme set, right? And I think we tried Jack’s already. And then as the season went on and teams were playing offensively, you know what I mean? It was predicated toward having four guys on the field and changing up,” Johnson explained.
Rather than a power struggle, Johnson insists that he and Knowles had an open dialogue, constantly working together to find the best approach for their personnel.
“Jim and I had a really great conversation about what we were doing. There was never a moment where we were going, ‘Hey, I don’t want the 3-4.’ There was never that. It was like, ‘What’s the best with our players and how can we get a 3-4 team?’ And that was always the conversation,” he stated in an interview with Bucknuts 247Sports.
So, while Johnson maintains there was never a clash, it’s hard to ignore the drastic shift in Knowles’ approach now that he’s at Penn State. Did he feel restricted at Ohio State? And if so, did that play a role in his decision to leave?
Jim Knowles at Penn State: Building a Defensive Powerhouse?
Regardless of what happened behind closed doors in Columbus, Knowles has a new mission: turning Penn State into a national title contender.
Fresh off a championship-winning season, Knowles isn’t settling for mediocrity. His goal? Bring a trophy to Happy Valley and build the most dominant defense in college football.
“I have one aspiration. I’m at that point in my career where you focus solely on the job at hand, and my aspiration is to help Penn State win the national championship and be the No. 1 defense in the country,” Knowles declared.
It’s a bold statement, but not an impossible one. Knowles engineered Ohio State’s title-winning defense, proving that he knows how to develop elite talent and craft a championship-caliber unit.
Penn State head coach James Franklin has handed him the keys to the defense, and with elite recruits coming in, Knowles has the potential to transform the Nittany Lions into a true powerhouse.
The Verdict: A Power Shift in the Big Ten?
As the dust settles at Ohio State, the question remains: did the Buckeyes lose a defensive genius, or was Knowles simply a system that didn’t fully fit their philosophy?
Meanwhile, Penn State is on the rise, and with Knowles calling the shots, they may finally have the defensive firepower to challenge Michigan and Ohio State for Big Ten supremacy.
One thing is for sure—the next few seasons will reveal whether Ohio State made the right choice in parting ways with Knowles or whether they just handed Penn State the missing piece of their championship puzzle.
