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Did James Franklin intentionally troll Penn State with dessert on National Signing Day?

On3 imageby: Dan Morrison12/03/25dan_morrison96

It’s hard to tell if there is some bitterness between James Franklin and Penn State. One thing is clear, though, Virginia Tech had a sweet treat at the Hokies’ signing day ceremony.

Incidentally, this comes just days after Penn State was tied to BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. That didn’t work out, though. In no small part, that was because the Crumbl Cookie CEO, Jason McGowan, a BYU booster, seemed to want to make sure he stayed in Provo. That’s why some fans are wondering if Franklin may have been intentionally trolling Penn State by serving Crumbl Cookies as a snack.

The situation with Penn State and BYU was an interesting one. Reports were coming in that Penn State was targeting Sitake. That doesn’t mean that ink has dried on the contract yet, but it does imply that the two sides are in discussions. That’s when the Crumbl CEO took to social media, posting about his potential involvement. He wrote, “Some people are not replaceable. Sounds like it is time for me to get off the sidelines and get to work.”

Shortly after that, McGowan continued to praise Sitake on social media. He also called for other fans of BYU to join him.

“Why do you love Kalani? What does it mean to you to have @kalanifsitake as our head coach at BYU? Right now is the moment to let Kalani feel the love, respect, and gratitude of Cougar Nation. He has given everything to this program,” McGowan wrote. “Let’s show him how much he means to all of us. To make it fun, I’m giving away four 50 yard line seats and airfare to the Big 12 Championship game for two incredible responses. Share your heart. Let’s lift Kalani together.”

All of that, and whatever behind-the-scenes effort was involved, seemed to work. Sitake stayed at BYU and signed an extension. That sent Penn State back to the drawing board, looking for a coach.

It’s possible, James Franklin was aware of all of that. Just under two months since Penn State fired Franklin, he’s now running signing day at Virginia Tech, trying to flip his former recruits and generally compete with the Nittany Lions for recruits. Meanwhile, Penn State is operating without a full-time head coach on signing day.

If Franklin was aware of all of that, then it’s also fair to wonder if this was an intentional troll job. At the same time, it could all be a coincidence. After all, Crumbl Cookies are very popular around the country.