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James Franklin on USC rumors: ‘We’re completely focused on Maryland’
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The James Franklin-to-USC rumors have picked up quite a bit of steam over the last few days. Clay Helton hasn’t even been fired by the Trojans yet, and still people believe the Penn State head coach could be on his way to Los Angeles.
Both Bruce Feldman and Steward Mandel of The Athletic thought that Franklin’s departure may be more likely than most expect.
So, rather than worry about the rumor mill, why not ask the source himself? During his weekly press conference, Franklin was quizzed about the potential of leaving Penn State for USC.
While he denied there was any truth to any rumors, he also didn’t exactly shoot down the concept.
“It’s that time of year,” Franklin said regarding the coaching carousel talk. “As you guys know, like always, we’re focused on Maryland completely, 100 percent. I don’t think it’s fair or right to even be talking about that job. We’re completely focused on Maryland.”
Franklin’s response to the question isn’t out of the ordinary. He’s become famous for his one-game season mindset and focusing all attention on the opponent ahead.
However, when Franklin’s name surfaced regarding the Texas A&M job last season, he was pretty quick to shoot it down. Maybe he’ll be a little more enthusiastic with his denial later, but it was certainly an interesting answer to the question.
Since resurrecting the Penn State program, Franklin has been a hot commodity on the coaching market. With the university having plenty of tradition and history itself, it’s hard to imagine Franklin would depart unless the money and program were a good fit.
Could USC be the job that lures Franklin from his home state?
If Helton gets fired, there’s going to be plenty of talk out of Happy Valley.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB