UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State head coach James Franklin, senior safety Keaton Ellis, junior offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu and senior defensive end Adisa Isaac will represent Penn State at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, Wednesday, July 26.
Franklin, a 28-year football coaching veteran, was appointed Penn State's 16th head football coach on January 11, 2014 and enters his 13th season as a collegiate head coach. Franklin's career head coaching record is 102-51 and is one of eight active FBS coaches with a 66-plus winning percentage and 12-plus years coaching experience.
Under Franklin's direction, Penn State has finished in the top 12 of the final College Football Playoff rankings in five of the last seven seasons, has earned berths in four New Year's Six bowl games with three wins and won the 2016 Big Ten Championship. Franklin has guided the Nittany Lions to an 86 percent graduation success rate, a perfect single-year 1,000 APR for the 2018-19 school year and record-breaking performances in the classroom.
Keaton Ellis · Sr. · S · 5-11 · 192 · State College, Pa. · State College Area High School
- Has appeared in 43 career games, making 20 starts.
- Named a 2023 team captain this spring.
- Started all 13 games at safety in 2022.
- Made 24 tackles (15 solo), two tackles for loss and seven pass breakups.
- Tallied a career-high four pass breakups at Purdue (9/1).
- Made five total tackles (3 solo), including a tackle for loss, against Ohio State (10/29).
Olumuyiwa Fashanu · Jr. · OL · 6-6 · 319 · Waldorf, Md. · Gonzaga College High School
- Named a 2022 Walter Camp second-team All-American.
- Has appeared in 17 career games, making nine starts.
- Named a 2023 team captain this spring.
- Is a three-time Dean's List selection and owns a 3.40 cumulative GPA following the spring semester.
Adisa Isaac · R-Sr. · DE · 6-4 · 254 · Brooklyn, N.Y. · Canarsie High School
- Has appeared in 33 career games, making 13 starts.
- Earned All-Big Ten third team honors from the coaches and honorable mention by the media. In 2022.
- Named the team's Reid Robinson Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award winner with Chop Robinson.
- Earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators Comeback Player of the Year Watch List.
- Started all 13 games at defensive end in 2022, recording 28 tackles (15 solo), 11 tackles for loss (team-high), four sacks and 8 quarterback hurries.
- Finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (11).
- Among defensive linemen in the Big Ten, the 11 tackles for loss were tied for third.
State's season opener on Sept. 2, against West Virginia in Beaver Stadium, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on NBC. A total of 41 lettermen are returning for Penn State in 2023. The Nittany Lions return 13 starters – seven on offense and six on defense.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2023 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. To request information to purchase group tickets, click here.