Penn State AD Patrick Kraft Has Buried Himself

Now, everything has become additionally odd because Penn State still doesn’t have a head coach. And that is fully on the shoulders of Kraft, who has sat around and watched LSU, Ole Miss, UCLA, Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, Oregon State, UAB, Kentucky, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Colorado State replace their head coach before he could.

I didn’t mention Virginia Tech, because that’s an entirely different story. Franklin landing in Blacksburg just magnifies Penn State’s current issues. That is because Franklin has systematically gutted Penn State’s recruiting class. As numerous Penn State commitments have flipped to Virginia Tech, the Nittany Lions have been left an anemic class, both in quantity and quality.

This isn’t something that should be brushed aside. With signing day beginning in less than 24 hours, completely punting on an entire class can set a program back years. Even with the presence of the transfer portal, solely relying on transfers puts you in a vicious roster cycle that is extremely difficult to dig yourself out of.

At this point, even if Penn State hires a head coach today or tomorrow, it is too late to save this class. And again, that was avoidable. Waiting to hire a coach who may be in the playoffs is not an excuse for Penn State’s current situation. Obviously, it didn’t stop Lane Kiffin or Jon Sumrall from making a move despite Ole Miss and Tulane being likely playoff teams.

Instead, Penn State is in this embarrassing situation. A proud program with a proud fanbase has become the target of jokes and ridicule because of Kraft. He had plenty of time and options to avoid all of this, but he has somehow wasted both of these opportunities.  

Whenever the smoke clears and Penn State names a head coach, Kraft will find himself firmly on the plank. And if his hire flounders in 2026, the fanbase will be more than happy to shove him overboard.