It has been an emotional time lately for Penn State football. This is especially true for a couple of players who may have seen their seasons cut short by injury, who shared their reactions to the news of James Franklin being fired over the weekend with posts on social media.

Quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury late on Saturday in a loss to Northwestern. Franklin confirmed after the game Allar will be out for the rest of the season without addressing the specifics of Allar’s injury. Allar appeared to injure his left foot or ankle as he had his left shoe off as he was carted off the field in Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

Allar and Franklin will inevitably be linked together when reflecting on their legacies at Penn State, for better or worse, and Allar was one of Franklin’s biggets recruiting victories during his 12 years in Happy Valley. Upon hearing the news, Allar appeared to share a photo wishing Franklin best of luck with whatever comes next on a post on his Instagram stories.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar on Instagram in the aftermath of James Franklin’s firing: pic.twitter.com/LPno40kinw

— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) October 12, 2025

Allar was not alone in reacting to the news. Linebacker Tony Rojas, who also suffered a long-term injury recently, took to his X, formerly known as Twitter, profile to post his reactions to the news.

“I appreciate you coach for the opportunity and being so good to me and my family,” Rojas posted. “Wasn’t just a great coach but someone who cared about us players and wanted to develop us as men off the field too.”

Shit heartbreaking and dont even feel real.. I appreciate you coach for the opportunity and being so good to me and my family 🤞🏽 wasnt just a great coach but someone who cared about us players and wanted to develop us as men off the field too.. 😒 pic.twitter.com/Mk3Ofn2RMl

— Tony Rojas (@Tony_Rojas5) October 12, 2025

Penn State will be on the road this week without the services of Allar and Rojas, and, of course, Franklin. Terry Smith is taking over as interim head coach this week as Penn State prepares for a road game at Iowa on Saturday night, and then heading into a much-needed bye week. In the meantime, a search for a new head coach is officially underway.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Drew Allar reacts to Penn State firing James Franklin