The Penn State Nittany Lions are set to interview a surprising candidate with strong support for their permanent head coach.

Newly hired Virginia Tech coach James Franklin appeared on the ACC Network broadcast during the Hokies' game on Nov. 22. Here's what he said.

West Charlotte (N.C.) three-star linebacker Elijah Littlejohn committed to Penn State back in June, but the firing of James Franklin last month made him re-evaluate his recruitment. After checking out a few other programs,

Virginia Tech coach James Franklin will make around $8.2 million annually on the five-year deal he signed with the Hokies, the university announced Friday. Though that is around $300,000 less than he was making at Penn State, it does keep him among the top 20 highest-paid coaches in college football.

Kaytron Allen ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns to become Penn State’s all-time rushing leader as the Nittany Lions cruised past Nebraska 37-10 on Saturday night. The victory also keep their bowl hopes alive weeks after the school fired James Franklin.

Drew Allar came to Penn State as somewhat of a prophesied savior. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions coaching staff identified and recruited him long before he turned into the nation’s top-ranked quarterback and a five-star recruit.

When James Franklin was fired from Penn State, Virginia Tech entered his life as a fresh opportunity. In interviews, Franklin sounded confident, and it seemed like he was ready to turn that opportunity into something golden. But today’s game turned out to be a disappointing one — not just for Franklin, but for the entire Virginia Tech program.

The first part of Pate's comment might be more intriguing.