James Franklin probably slept easily Wednesday night. The Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2024 signed its official letters of intent to attend the university on Wednesday as part of early signing day.

With programs like Miami and Colorado losing committed players in the lead-up to early signing day, Penn State emerged unscathed. The Nittany Lion class had 25 players committed to Penn State, and all 25 players signed and officially cemented their statuses as Nittany Lions.

Signing day comes amid a hectic time. The few weeks between the close of the regular season and bowl season are chaotic for college football programs. The transfer portal opens, players make decisions on their professional futures, and new recruiting classes begin to take shape. Pat Kraft, Penn State’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics, understood how tough the period is and commended the entire staff for its work over the past year.

“I’m proud of them for what they did with this class. I think they did an amazing job,” Kraft said.

Franklin was also pleased with his staff and the job done by Penn State’s recruiters. The recruiting Class of 2024 ranks 14th in the country according to 247Sports Composite and is filled with high-profile targets.

Franklin’s job was even more difficult with his work to replace two coordinators who played a big part in the recruiting process. Even though the newest Nittany Lions won’t be playing for the coach they might’ve envisioned, the next generation stayed loyal to Franklin.

“Every commit, when they commit to Penn State, I talk to them about committing to me and the university and that there’s probably going to be turnover on the staff, whether it’s right away, this year, or whether it’s in their four-to-five years here at Penn State,” Franklin said. “But I think the fact that we do that, it think helps us. So when those things do happen, they are not shocked by that.”

Franklin did admit that other programs are constantly trying to flip commits, and a change in coordinators makes the process more difficult.

On the defensive side of the ball, Franklin said he doesn’t worry. Penn State has a history of playing great defense, and he makes sure his recruits are well aware.

The Nittany Lions also have a very specific player and person in mind when the staff hits the recruiting trail. If all criteria is met, Franklin doesn’t worry about that prospect flipping.

“We have worked really hard at making sure we know what we’re bringing into the locker room,” Franklin said. “Making sure that the guys that we take, the lettermen are going to be proud of those guys and the community is going to be proud of.”

Knowing exactly who is joining the program also helps Franklin retain his roster when the transfer portal window opens after the regular season.

By knowing his players both on and off the field, Franklin creates a relationship that’s more than just football. So far, it’s worked in his favor.

“So by really developing this relationship based on trust and love and support through the good times and bad times, I think allows you to overcome some of those things,” Franklin said. “And we have been fortunate. We have been fortunate through chemistry, love, support, honesty, transparency, that I think we have been able to work through a lot of issues that can be challenging at times.”