The transfer portal impacted Penn State in 2021. But, that is one on James Franklin to some extent. Like a lot of programs, it can come down to QB holding your team back.
Wisconsin fans are not excited about how Graham Mertz went from highest QB recruit to inconsistent QB.
Sean Clifford is that way for Penn State. Also, the RB room and revolving door of coordinators on offense hasn't helped them at all.
OC Joe Moorhead lead Penn State to James Franklin's best seasons, 2016-17. He lead Oregon's offense, which got a W in Columbus last year.
He is know back as a head coach, which is where Franklin got him, at Fordham. He was 38-11 there. Step up to Mississippi State, as a Yankee was a step too high. He was still 14-12 as an SEC coach.
fwiw