Penn State's Jim Knowles Is Racing, With Quiet Purpose, to Install His Defense

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is deliberate not only with how he runs his defense but also in how he answers questions. He’s soft-spoken and relaxed, often taking a moment to form an answer before speaking. 

But when asked how long it might take to fully implement his defensive scheme, Knowles answered almost immediately. “The rest of my life,” he said with a chuckle. 

“I mean, there’s always more to do,” Penn State’s first-year coordinator said Saturday at the Nittany Lions' football media day. “It’s never a finished process, and how quickly we can move forward with it this year depends on how quickly the players keep learning. Right now, it’s at a really rapid pace. [We’ll] just keep pushing forward as long as they’re handling everything.”

Knowles’ scheme is known as one of the more complex in college football. He runs a 4-2-5, similar to the system former defensive coordinator Tom Allen ran at Penn State in 2024. The former Ohio State coordinator has used that familiarity to his advantage, spending time implementing concepts with which the players were familiar.  

Some players are learning from their third defensive coordinator at Penn State. Safety Zakee Wheatley is one of those players to work in three different systems. His strategy in transitioning to Knowles’ scheme: Be ready for a fresh start.

“I’d say [the coordinators] got similarities, but they’ve also got a lot of differences,” Wheatley said. “So I came in with a fresh start. I want to get a whole new … feel for [Knowles’] game, so I kind of erased a lot of what we did last year [and in years past] and I tried to start running fresh with a brand new slate this year.”

Jim Knowles likes what he sees of Penn State’s defense

Unlike at some previous career stops, Knowles took over a defense already near the top of college football. Under Allen in 2024, Penn State ranked seventh in the country in total defense (294.8 yards per game) and eighth in scoring defense (16.5 points per game). Manny Diaz’s 2023 Penn State unit ranked second nationally in total defense and third in scoring. But last year, Knowles’ Ohio State defense ranked No. 1 in both categories.  

Six months into his tenure with the Nittany Lions, Knowles said that Penn State’s defense is “as good or better than any place [he’s] come into as a first-year [coach].”

“I’ve been impressed with the way the guys handle their business, with the way that they learn, with the way that they practice. … All the tools are in place to be successful,” Knowles said. 

The team’s veteran talent is one reason. It’s also why Penn State is adjusting to Knowles’ scheme rapidly. Linebacker Tony Rojas said he believes around 85 percent of the scheme has been installed, but there’s going to be “wrinkles in each coverage added.”

Rojas, another player in his third system, said Knowles’ scheme is his favorite, even though it has been more difficult to learn. 

“I think this [scheme] is definitely harder to get as a linebacker, just because it’s more of an NFL-type of coverage and defense,” Rojas said. “Coach Allen obviously was a great [coordinator], but it’s kind of different. You know, kind of more thinking you’ve got to do on this defense, which is good for us backers. We’ve got to run the defense, and we have more say in what to run, whether it’s changes to the call or whatnot. So this is my favorite defense, and I think it’s great for the linebackers.”