Does Franklin's firing give Gophers another shot at top in-state recruit?

Triton's Pierce Petersohn, a Penn State commit, could potentially re-open his recruitment with James Franklin gone from Happy Valley.

Pierce Petersohn on his Gophers Official Visit | Picture via: @PiercePetersohn (X)

James Franklin being fired in the middle of his 12th season at Penn State could have all kinds of ripple effects in the college football world, with the Gophers potentially involved in the fallout. The Nittany Lions job opening up will add to a national coaching carousel that may or may not involve P.J. Fleck one of these years. And from a recruiting standpoint, plenty of Penn State recruits have already de-committed from the program, with others likely to follow.

One Penn State recruit who hasn't yet made a decision is 2026 Minnesota standout Pierce Petersohn, the No. 2 high school senior in the state according to 247 Sports' composite rankings. Nos. 1, 3, and 4 (Roman Voss, Andrew Trout, and Howie Johnson) are all committed to Fleck and the Gophers. Does Franklin's firing give Minnesota another shot at landing the versatile Petersohn and adding to what could be a special 2026 class? He was reportedly shocked by Franklin's firing on Sunday, following Penn State's third consecutive loss.

The Gophers were heavily involved in the recruiting of Petersohn, who stars at Triton High School in Dodge Center, about 90 minutes south of Minneapolis. He visited campus multiple times, and his final decision came down to Minnesota or Penn State. Back in late June, he picked the Nittany Lions.

Gopher Nation, how we feeling?! #uncommitted pic.twitter.com/ATWyIH223R

— Pierce Petersohn (@PiercePetersohn) June 4, 2025

If Petersohn does re-open his recruitment, which isn't a guarantee, it may not be as simple as Minnesota becoming his clear fallback option. The 6'5" senior plays quarterback and other positions for Triton and is listed as an "athlete" on recruiting sites. The Gophers were recruiting him primarily as a linebacker, while Penn State recruited him as a tight end, which was believed to be a factor in his decision. Voss, the No. 1 2026 recruit in Minnesota, is committed to the Gophers as a TE.

So there are still some questions that would have to be asked if Petersohn de-commits from PSU. Are the Gophers open to having him play tight end? If so, is he willing to come to Minnesota in the same class as Voss and two three-star TEs? Would he consider the linebacker path instead?

Petersohn is talented and athletic enough that he could play a few different positions at the next level. In an ideal world for the Gophers, they could pitch him on staying home, joining their remarkable 2026 class, and figuring out the positional details once he joins the program. The fact that they were one of two finalists in his college decision would seem to give them at least a solid chance at landing Petersohn if he becomes available.

Other schools that offered Petersohn include Iowa, Iowa State, Duke, Kansas State, and Northwestern. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in Triton's 21-7 win over Rochester Lourdes on Friday night.

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