Report: Ohio State DC Knowles nears deal with Penn State

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is finalizing a contract to become Penn State's DC, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Knowles will receive a three-year deal averaging $3.1 million per season, Thamel adds.

His contract could be finalized as early as Monday and is expected to make him the highest-paid coordinator in college football, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reports.

The Buckeyes had the No. 1 scoring defense this campaign and won the College Football Playoff National Championship. Knowles' defense held Notre Dame to just seven first-half points en route to the Buckeyes' title game victory earlier in January.

Knowles, a Pennsylvania native, was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State for three seasons. He was previously the DC at Oklahoma State.

Penn State's previous defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, left the program to join Clemson in the same role. The Nittany Lions ranked seventh in total defense this season under Allen and made the CFP semifinal, where they lost to Notre Dame.

Knowles' Ohio State unit held Penn State's offense to 270 yards and zero touchdowns in their 2024 matchup, the Nittany Lions' worst offensive performance of the season.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is also reportedly drawing interest from the NFL's Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars for their vacant OC jobs.

Both championship game finalists will have to hire new defensive coordinators, as the Fighting Irish lost Al Golden to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.