How Jim Knowles Evaluates Himself as Penn State's Defensive Coordinator

Knowles looks at his own performance during the Nittany Lions' first three games of the 2025 season.

Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles talks with reporters during football media day in Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During a bye-week media call, Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles evaluated position groups and players across his roster, including three freshmen who have shown real promise. But what about the self-evaluation? What does Knowles think of his performance through Penn State's first three games?

"I really evaluate myself with what I see on the field, and what I've been seeing are guys in the right places," Knowles said during the Nittany Lions' bye week. "And that's my job: to make sure I put them in the right places. They have to make the plays. But I'm seeing so far that they're learning, picking things up, getting to the right spots. So that's how I evaluate myself."

Knowles arrived at Penn State last winter as James Franklin's most high-profile coaching hire, the former Ohio State defensive coordinator who won a ring with the Buckeyes last season. Franklin called Knowles "arguably the best defensive coordinator in college football" and brought him to Penn State for nights such as Sept. 27.

The No. 2 Nittany Lions open Big Ten play with a banger, hosting No. 6 Oregon in a top-10 matchup for the annual Penn State White Out. That game will serve as the first true test of Penn State's defense, whose starters did not allow a touchdown through three non-conference games. For Knowles, the evaluation begins then.

"It's ongoing, because there's an exam every week except this week," Knowles said of his self-evaluation process. "It's all about how you perform in that next game, is really how I evaluate myself."

Where Penn State's defense ranks nationally

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive Yvan Kemajou (99) takes on Villanova Wildcats offensive linesman Stephane Voltaire (75) during a play at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions field the nation's third-ranked defense after three games, according to ESPN's SP+, one that hasn't allowed a meaningful touchdown yet. Penn State has given up 17 points in three games, including two touchdowns in the final 25 seconds of games (one on the last play vs. Villanova) by backup defenses to backup quarterbacks. Functionally, Penn State's defense has allowed only a field goal, to Nevada in the opener.

Penn State ranks third nationally in scoring defense (5.7 points per game) and fifth in yards per play allowed (3.59). The Nittany Lions also rank fourth in tackles for loss (29) and tied for sixth in turnovers gained (seven). That includes four interceptions, two be defensive tackles Alonzo Ford Jr. and Zane Durant.

Where Knowles wants to see improvement is third and fourth down. Penn State is tied for 59th nationally in defensive third-down conversion rate (34.8 percent) and tied for 94th in fourth-down success rate. The Nittany Lions' non-conference opponents went 4-for-6 against them on fourth down.

"Our areas of improvement really need to come in third and fourth down," Knowles said. "I don't think we've done well enough in those areas, and those become extremely important in close ballgames. So there's a real push for that during this bye week. But the rest of it is on track so far."

Getting up to speed

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles looks on from the sideline during the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Knowles spent the spring and training camp installing what players and coaches have called an NFL-style defense, one that asks a lot from its players. As a result, Franklin assessed the start as impressive but with room to grow.

"Obviously our first two games it's been pretty impressive in terms of points and the number of guys we been able to play," Franklin said before the Nittany Lions defeated Villanova 52-6. "But I do think we can be more of a suffocating style defense. We've given up some yards that I think Jim would prefer [not to], obviously us being a little bit tighter and reacting. I still think our defense is
thinking and not playing as fast as maybe we have in the past, and that's what's going to be important this week and then obviously moving forward as well, just getting these guys playing fast and confident in some of the tweaks of the new system."

Regarding his defense, Knowles said the installation process is ongoing. He won't know truly what he has until after Penn State plays Oregon.

"Every situation is different, right? And you truly don't know until you face the top-level competition," Knowles said. "So you keep trying to put them in different situations. ... It's just an ongoing process, and seeing them each week and then against better competition helps me figure that out."

Facing Oregon again, this time in the White Out

Fireworks burst overhead as the Penn State Nittany Lions take the field prior to the 2024 White Out game against the Washington Huskies at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Knowles saw the Ducks twice last season. In the first meeting, former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Jordan James rushed for 115 yards and another score in the Ducks' 32-31 win in Eugene.

Then in the second round of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State forced Oregon to punt or turn over the ball on downs on its first six possessions of a 41-21 victory. Knowles was asked to discuss those games in the context of Oregon's Big Ten championship-game win over Penn State last season.

"Well, we didn't do so well against them in our first game against Oregon, either," Knowles said. "They're a really good offense and they challenge you formationally and with all the different things that they do. So we just have to make sure that we have the guys in the right places. A lot of times against these teams that do so much, and they're talented, if you're not in the right place, you don't have a chance. So that's my job, to just get them into the right place."

Knowles also will get his first look at the Penn State White Out, which he didn't see during his three seasons at Ohio State. Befitting a coach in his 38th year in the business, Knowles views the White Out pragmatically.

"I haven't looked ahead to that and I don't," he said. "The atmosphere, which is great for the fans and the players, that's not my job to think about any of that. Whether it's in a parking lot or in the best atmosphere in football, the White Out game, it's got to be the same. It has to be consistent for me in terms of our performance.

"The noise certainly plays into a factor. We practice for that all the time. Whether it's the White Out game or not, we've got to be very sound with our communication, and that'll make it tougher. So we're doing all the things that you need to do in terms of the loud music at practice and all that to prepare our guys for that."