$46 million college football coach emerges as heavy favorite to be named Penn State HC

The Penn State rumors are heating up amid the Nittany Lions' search for a new head coach. As James Franklin searches for a new home, the next Penn State coach could currently be in the SEC.

Penn State has been linked to plenty of top candidates, but the latest betting odds have one coach surging as a heavy favorite. Kalshi, a predictive odds market, has Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz as a strong favorite to be named Penn State head coach.

Drinkwitz has a 36% chance to land the Penn State job, and the odds are trending up and to the right like a surging stock. At the beginning of Nov., Drinkwitz was hovering around the 20% mark.

Now, Drinkwitz's odds have nearly doubled for the Penn State job. Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline are next in the odds at 10% each, per Kalshi.

Here's what you need to know about the latest Penn State news amid the program's coaching search.

Eli Drinkwitz's future at Penn State may hinge on Lane Kiffin's decision

Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin may be the hottest name in the college football coaching carousel, but Drinkwitz is not all that different from the Rebels coach. Like Kiffin, Drinkwitz is an offensive-minded coach who is not afraid to make headlines for his brash comments.

Another similarity between the two coaches, Drinkwitz rebuilt a once struggling SEC program into one of the conference's contenders. The question for Drinkwitz is whether the program has hit its ceiling at Missouri.

In addition to the similarities, Drinkwitz's future may be tied to Kiffin's decision. Kiffin has been the favorite to land the Florida job since the Gators fired Billy Napier.

If Kiffin turns down the Florida gig, Drinkwitz could be the Gators' next call to fill their head coaching vacancy. If given the choice between Penn State and Florida, Drinkwitz may prefer to remain in the SEC.

Penn State had to pivot from Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Nebraska's Matt Rhule

In the days following Franklin's firing, Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Nebraska's Matt Rhule initially emerged as the top candidates at Penn State. The Nittany Lions had to quickly pivot with both coaches signing extensions, although neither would be the first to leave for another program months after inking a new deal.

Elko has recently been floated as a Penn State candidate, but the Nittany Lions could find it challenging to poach the coach away from College Station. This may leave Drinkwitz as Penn State's most realistic target.

"Drinkwitz and (Louisville's Jeff) Brohm are hot names in this coaching carousel and have all been tied to other jobs, too," On3's Pete Nakos wrote on Nov. 3. "Drinkwitz is 56–27 as an FBS head coach and built Missouri into a consistent winner in the SEC.

"Brohm’s name will be tied to the Florida and Auburn openings, sources have said, but Penn State is in the mix. He’s proven he can do more with fewer resources at Purdue and Louisville, including a Big Ten championship game appearance."

This past offseason, Drinkwitz inked a new contract extension at Missouri. Drinkwitz is slated to make at least $9 million annually with the deal putting him under contract through 2029. The Missouri coach's current deal is projected to be worth $46.5 million, per USA Today.

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