In the last few months, Penn State Football has been turned upside down. A new head coach, followed by a mass import of Big 12 transfers and a new coaching staff, are just the headline pieces of the caravan making its way from Ames, Iowa, to State College. 

The occurrence of a full “spring cleaning” is not uncommon in the realm of college football,  as this practice has been seen across multiple Power Five programs in the last five years. A “spring cleaning” is colloquial for when a new head coach brings along a large group of players and assistant coaches from their former school to their new program.

One notable example was Lane Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss, which led to six of his assistants and four key players following him to LSU.

Closer to home for the State College community was James Franklin’s exit from the Penn State Nittany Lions’ football program following a rocky start to the 2025 season. Although not immediate, Franklin’s “spring cleaning” took place at the end of the season, when seven coaches and 11 recruits headed south to Virginia Tech with him.

From the outside, some Nittany Lions fans believed there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

In an article for Victory Bell Rings back on Dec. 2, Sydney Ciano wrote, “The Nittany Lions’ situation went from questionable to bad to worse to potentially the worst. There’s no idea as to where the program is going in the future because right now, there’s no one leading it and it doesn’t look like there will be a home run hire in there.” 

As inflated as this statement may seem, only a few months ago, these emotions were common in what used to be “Happy” Valley.

In another critique of athletic director Pat Kraft, college football analyst Josh Pate said, “You don’t know who you can hire. You know you got a lot of money up there, and you think your job is among the best in the country. But, are you really going to do definitively better than [Franklin]?”

Meanwhile, the players had a much different perspective on things.

In one of the more surprising moves of the coaching cycle, the Nittany Lions named cornerbacks coach Terry Smith as interim head coach.

What many outsiders did not realize was how impactful that decision would be.

Penn State offensive lineman Henry Boehme said Smith helped stabilize the team during a turbulent stretch.

“[Terry Smith] really just reunited everyone. We had a lot going on that season, and expectations were not met. But he really brought everyone back together. He made sure that we understood that we’re responsible for our actions, and that we’re responsible for what happened,” Boehme said. 

Penn State quarterback Jack Lambert said Smith’s approach changed the team’s mindset: “…when [Terry Smith] came in, it was just like, ‘Hey, this is football. This is a child’s game. Enjoy playing football,’ and that was something that I think helped benefit everybody.” 

Lambert added that the shift in tone helped the team play more freely.

“It was just more relaxing in a good way of just, ‘Hey, go play fun, and when you play fun, you play fast,’ So that allowed us to play well,” he said.

Following Smith’s appointment, the Nittany Lions finished the season on a four-game winning streak, defeating Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, and in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Clemson Tigers. The turnaround restored confidence among fans and, more importantly, within the locker room.

As the offseason began, uncertainty within the football program became more apparent. This uncertainty threatened roster stability, particularly in terms of player retention. For some players, the decision to stay came down to long-standing personal ties to the program.

“I’ll say there’s a lot to do with the fact that I grew up a fan of this place. So, growing up and getting a chance to play for the school, that was really my goal all along. So any chance to play here, I’m gonna do it,” Lambert said.

Others needed reassurance from the new coaching staff led by Matt Campbell. In some position groups, such as the offensive line, retention was a visible success, with veterans like Dom Rulli and Anthony Donkoh staying on the roster. In other areas, particularly the quarterback room, several key departures occurred. Ethan Grunkemeyer, who became the starter after Drew Allar went down with an ankle injury against Northwestern, followed Franklin to Virginia Tech, while teammate Jaxon Smolik headed east to Temple, and Bekkem Kritza went down south to Alabama A&M.

For those who stayed, leadership became critical in maintaining team unity. Boehme said strong leadership helped keep the team focused.

“…if the leaders are respected, obviously, they’re leaders for a certain reason…we all saw the greatness and everything that we accomplished when we were together, so we found something we all wanted to work for and support, and we did it,” he said.

Less than a year after bringing in a recruiting class ranked No. 19 nationally, with 14 four or five-star recruits, a wave of transfers threatened the program’s depth. In response, Campbell and his staff did a generally well-respected job preserving the top underclassmen prospects committed to the program.

“So there’s one thing that we had been told a while back… the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it. A lot of guys took that to heart, and I think Malachi [Goodman, a redshirt freshman returning to the Penn State offensive line for 2026,] is one of those guys. He obviously had opportunities to go elsewhere, but he’s a guy that really believes in the process and knows that greatness comes with time,” Boehme said.

That message helped the program retain four of its top five recruits from the 2025 class heading into the 2026 season.

At this moment, the Nittany Lions have their eyes set on the 2026 season, gunning for another College Football Playoff appearance. As conversation sparks across thousands of living rooms in Happy Valley, the players believe they have what it takes to live up to this year’s expectations.

“Just playing together as one… I think that’s the biggest thing, is that we’ve connected in just a short amount of time off the field… it’s just a bunch of friends going out there playing in a way,” Lambert said.

“…you won’t see a team more together than this one. We’re all about each other, all about keeping the main thing the main thing, and that’s doing all the little things right,” Boehme said.

Fans can catch the Nittany Lions open the season on Sept. 5 against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium.