REPORT: James Franklin shifts Penn State football letterman to new staff role

A former Penn State football player is set to move to a new role less than a month after joining the Nittany Lions’ staff. First reported by On3 this week, letterman Jordan Lucas is expected to become the newest defensive graduate assistant for first-year coordinator Tom Allen. James Franklin had originally tapped his former player for a role in the recruiting department in January.

Penn State letterman Jordan Lucas to shift into GA role

Only three weeks ago, we learned that former Nittany Lion cornerback Jordan Lucas was joining the Penn State football staff. Now, the letterman appears poised for a new role. According to reporting from Greg Pickel of On3 this week, Jordan Lucas is set to become a graduate assistant for the program.

The Penn State football staff directory still lists Lucas with his original title of Recruiting Coordinator for Personnel and Recruitment, which he filled in the last week of January. Lucas’ social media, however, reflects the change in position.

Jordan Lucas was one of six true freshmen to play for Bill O’Brien in 2012. Earning All-Big Ten honors in 2013 and 2014, Lucas played in 40 consecutive games before missing his first career start in September 2015. The defender’s senior year was cut short after nine games due to a season-ending injury suffered against Northwestern.

Before returning to Happy Valley, Lucas most recently worked for former Penn State football assistant coach Charles Huff at Marshall. The Nittany Lion letterman spent six seasons in the NFL and was part of the Kansas City Chiefs roster that won Super Bowl LIV for the 2019 season.

James Franklin rehires key recruiting staffer after two-month departure

Jordan Lucas is not the only recent change to the Penn State football recruiting department. On Tuesday, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that James Franklin is set to rehire former staffer Khalil Ahmad.

Ahmad previously held the title of Recruiting Coordinator for Personnel and Recruitment — the same position briefly held by Lucas — before departing to become Syracuse’s Executive Director of Personnel and Recruitment in December. Ahmad helped James Franklin and Penn State football sign a top-15 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle.

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