Penn State believes Texas A&M could make a serious run at head coach James Franklin if Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies part ways at the end of the season, according to CBS Sports.

The report came from Dennis Dodd on Thursday morning, stating that Penn State officials were preparing for Texas A&M to make a run at hiring Franklin if there is a coaching change in College Station.

Franklin is in his fourth season with the Nittany Lions and currently has his team ranked No. 3 in the nation with a 6-0 mark. Last year, Penn State finished the season 11-3, claimed the B1G Championship and made an appearance in the Rose Bowl.

In August, Franklin signed a three-year extension that runs through the 2022 season and is worth $19.75 million. His buyout is currently set at $2 million.

Sumlin has been on the hot seat for some time now, but his job security really took a hit after Texas A&M blew a 44-10 lead against UCLA in Week 1. Since that time, the Aggies have posted a 4-1 mark, with the only other loss coming against Alabama.

Sumlin is in his sixth season with Texas A&M and has posted a 48-23 record but is 23-20 in SEC play. The Aggies haven’t won more than eight games in a single season since 2013 and have posted just one double-digit win year, going 11-2 in 2012.

Penn State has shown significant improvement under Franklin during the four year. Each of his first two seasons in State College, the Nittany Lions went 7-6 before exploding back into the national spotlight the past two years.

It’ll be interesting to see how far conversations go between Texas A&M and Franklin. Franklin is a Pennsylvania native but has some SEC roots. Prior to coaching at Penn State, he was the head coach at Vanderbilt from 2011-2013, posting a 24-15 mark in three seasons.

We’re only at the halfway point of the season, but the coaching carousel is in full force and the rumor mill is already spinning.