Penn State fired longtime coach James Franklin on Oct. 12 to get ahead of the carousel, secure a big-name replacement, and protect a top-20 2026 recruiting class. The message was simple: act early, win big later.

Instead, six weeks later, the entire plan has detonated.

As the early signing period kicked off Wednesday, Penn State entered the day with four commitments. By mid-morning, four-star safety Matt Sieg was off to West Virginia, and four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins was headed to Virginia Tech. The Nittany Lions later added edge rusher Jackson Ford and brought back QB Peyton Falzone from a previous decommitment — only to watch three-star corner Amauri Polydor flip to Virginia Tech as well.

When the dust settled, Penn State had two signees. On signing day. With no permanent coach in place and the recruiting office essentially empty.

This wasn’t a stumble. It was a freefall.

“Other coaches are looking around going, ‘What is going on over there?’” 247Sports analyst Brian Dohn said on live Signing Day coverage. “They’ll be fine in the long run… but in the short term, ‘embarrassing’ is putting it mildly.”

Since Franklin’s dismissal, 24 recruits have decommitted. A class that once sat comfortably in the top 20 now sits at No. 150 — surrounded by FCS programs only because so few prospects are left. Worst of all for Penn State, 11 former commits followed Franklin to Virginia Tech, where he has wasted no time building momentum.

His new haul in Blacksburg now features:

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ LB Terry Wiggins (94)

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ RB Messiah Mickens (90)

• ⭐⭐⭐ WR Davion Brown (89)

• ⭐⭐⭐ IOL Benjamin Eziuka (89)

• ⭐⭐⭐ LB Tyson Harley (89)

• ⭐⭐⭐ QB Troy Huhn (89)

• ⭐⭐⭐ TE Pierce Petersohn (89)

• ⭐⭐⭐ OT Marlen Bright (88)

• ⭐⭐⭐ OT Roseby Lubintus (88)

• ⭐⭐⭐ LB Mathieu Lamah (87)

• ⭐⭐⭐ CB Amauri Polydor (87)

Penn State had eight four-stars committed at the time of the firing. Most are gone. Many now wear maroon and orange.

And the irony? The early move that was supposed to bring clarity created chaos instead. Top targets signed extensions elsewhere, recruits got tired of waiting, and competitors — including Franklin himself — pounced.

There is one possible lifeline. Players have rallied around interim coach Terry Smith, who salvaged the regular season with three straight wins and bowl eligibility. Veterans like Tony Rojas want the interim tag removed. It’s the closest thing to stability Penn State has right now.

But stability is only potential — and time is gone.

The lesson is blunt: if you fire a coach, you better have the next one ready. Penn State didn’t. And it paid — fast.

Now the fallout stretches beyond recruiting rankings. With portal exits looming and talent drained, the next coach inherits one of the toughest rebuilds in college football. Penn State will have to spend big in the portal just to tread water — and recent history is unkind to programs forced into patchwork rosters.

A team that was one play from a national title run last year is suddenly in roster triage mode. What was meant to be a proactive reset has spiraled into a crisis.