REPORT: Ohio State makes historic offer to DC Jim Knowles amid Penn State rumors

Penn State football is reportedly pushing to hire away Jim Knowles from Big Ten rival Ohio State. However, the new National Champion appears to not be going down without a fight.

According to a new report from On3’s Andy Staples published Saturday morning, the Buckeyes have extended a counteroffer to Knowles that would make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.

While Staples’s story doesn’t include a proposed dollar amount, we have some sense of what Knowles is expected to receive on the open market. Oklahoma is said to have offered Knowles a $3 million per year contract. James Franklin and Penn State football seem to have raised the stakes even higher, reportedly offering the Buckeyes assistant coach $3.2 million this week.

Ohio State is making an offer that would make Jim Knowles the highest paid DC in college football.

Given the level of current openings, he's going to wind up highest paid no matter what he chooses.https://t.co/upFTMZfvoR

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) January 25, 2025

Last season, LSU’s Blake Baker was the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football, earning $2.5 million. Ohio State paid Knowles $2.2 million in 2024. If Knowles was to leave Columbus, a new team would have to buy out his current contract, which runs through 2026. That buyout is currently estimated to be $1.2 million.

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In addition to the Sooners and the Nittany Lions, Notre Dame is also reportedly interested in Knowles’s services. The Fighting Irish lost their defensive coordinator, former Penn State football captain Al Golden, to the Cincinnati Bengals this week.

Jim Knowles helped the Buckeyes defense lead the nation in scoring and yards allowed this season. A native Philadelphian, Knowles is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Prep and Cornell.

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