Parsons was a 2019 consensus All-American under Franklin's tutelage and shined with the Nittany Lions as an eventual first-round NFL Draft pick. He played two seasons at Penn State and excelled in his lone year as a starter in helping the program reach 11 wins.

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft explained the decision to fire head football coach James Franklin, saying it wasn't just the losing streak that led to it.

James Franklin's buyout was a major part of the story when Penn State decided to fire him Sunday, but the Nittany Lions reportedly could avoid paying all of it.

Former athletic director Sandy Barbour signed Franklin in 2021 to a 10-year contract extension worth up to $85 million. According to terms of the deal, Penn State must pay Franklin’s base salary of $500,000, supplemental pay of $6.5 million and insurance loan of $1 million until 2031.

The James Franklin era at Penn State has come to an abrupt and painful end. What started as a promising season with national championship aspirations has turned into one of the most dramatic collapses in recent college football memory.

The Penn State Nittany Lions are in the market for a new head football coach after surprisingly firing James Franklin on Sunday. Franklin, who had been the head coach at Penn State since 2014, was fired following a 3-3 start.