The James Franklin era at Penn State is over. The move to fire Franklin sent the college football world into a frenzy over the weekend, and names of potential replacements are the talk of social media. Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Nebraska's Matt Rhule are two of the most popular names being speculated, but Sports Illustrated listed LSU head coach Brian Kelly as a potential name to land in Happy Valley.
Kelly leaving LSU for Penn State would be shocking to say the least. Kelly is one of the most polarizing coaches in all of college football, and his tenure in Baton Rouge has been an interesting one. Kelly has lost 3+ regular season games in each of his first three seasons at LSU, which includes multiple SEC losses in each season. LSU has yet to make the College Football Playoff under Kelly, and Tiger fans have been frustrated with Kelly's inability to take LSU to the next level in his tenure so far.
As rumors keep circulating online, one former LSU player took to social media begging for Penn State to hire Kelly.
Former LSU player Breiden Fehoko wants Penn State to hire Brian Kelly
Former LSU Tiger Breiden Fehoko posted on X (formerly Twitter) pleading Penn State to hire Brian Kelly. Fehoko didn't play under Kelly at LSU, but his sarcastic post clearly shows his displeasure with the job Kelly has done in Baton Rouge.
Man I’d hate to lose Brian Kelly to @PennStateFball he’s one of the best coaches LSU has ever had. I wish they don’t take Joe Sloan either. One of the best play callers in america right now. Nobody comes close to him. Two of the best out! @PennStateFball STAY AWAY. https://t.co/hM3TpgCsPe
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) October 13, 2025
The fact of the matter for Brian Kelly is that while his team is 5-1 and ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, it hasn't been a pretty season for the Tigers so far. Kelly has preached the importance of playing complimentary football, but that hasn't been a reality in 2025. The offensive line - which is Kelly's calling card - has struggled, which has caused the offense as a whole to sputter. The defense is playing at a championship level, but the offensive woes have put the Tigers in tough spots all season long. The offense has been good enough to bet by, but it isn't a sustainable formula.
Inconsistency and a lack of complimentary football have been a theme in Kelly's tenure at LSU. When the offense is rolling, the defense struggles. When the defense is rolling, the offense struggles. That has led to a lot of frustration among Tiger fans, who echoed Fehoko's comments on social media.
Fehoko played at LSU from 2017-19 after transferring in from Texas Tech. He was a part of the Tiger team that won the National Championship in the 2019-20 season. The 6' 2", 291-pound defensive lineman capped his career with 33 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks over 23 games (12 starts).