Penn State made the move official on Monday: Jim Knowles will be the next Nittany Lions defensive coordinator just a week after leading Ohio State to a national championship.

The hire has sent shockwaves throughout college football, with plenty of national experts projecting Penn State to be among the nation’s top teams in 2025.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly, in fact, picked Penn State in a way-too-early fashion to win the national championship. How’s that sound, Penn State fans?

Here’s the buzz on the Lions after pulling off perhaps the best move of the college football offseason.

Tuesday’s Top Headlines

—Projecting how the College Football Playoff for the 2025 season could play out (Connelly, ESPN)

—Jim Knowles contract: New Penn State defensive coordinator can eclipse $4 million with lucrative bonuses (Dodd, CBS Sports)

—Penn State’s ‘all-in’ push for 2025 follows successful model set by Big Ten foes (Ralph, PennLive)

—Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50: 2025 NFL Draft prospect rankings 1.0 (NFL.com)

—Penn State 4-star RB commit Messiah Mickens shuts down recruitment (Shelton, On3)

—Penn State poaching Jim Knowles sends clear message: James Franklin, Nittany Lions ready to take next step (Fornelli, CBS Sports)

—Former NFL MVP: Penn State hired ‘the best DC in college football’ in Jim Knowles (McGonigal, PennLive)

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