James Franklin gearing up to leave Penn State for SEC job?

James Franklin has reportedly hired a new agent, and the move could signal that the Penn State coach is positioning himself to leave for a new job this offseason.

John Brice of FootballScoop.com reported on Monday that Franklin has hired Jimmy Sexton of Creative Artists Agency. He was previously represented by Trace Armstrong of Athletes First.

Sexton represents some of the biggest names in college football. He is the agent for several of the nation’s top coaches, many of whom coach in the SEC. Sexton’s client list includes Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin, Kirby Smart, Dan Mullen and Jimbo Fisher. At one point a few years ago, Sexton represented 11 of the 14 coaches in the SEC. Some of those coaches have since moved on, but his ties to the most powerful conference in college football are deep.

What does that mean for Franklin? Perhaps not a whole lot, as Sexton also represents many NFL coaches and prominent head coaches from other conferences. However, the move is noteworthy for Franklin since he is considered one of the top candidates to replace Ed Orgeron at LSU. Though, two top schools from different conferences may enter a bidding war for Franklin when the season ends.

Franklin has a buyout of roughly $4 million at Penn State. If he chooses to leave, other programs will have no problem paying that.

Penn State has lost back-to-back games after being ranked No. 2 in the country. They lost two weeks ago at No. 3 Iowa before falling in nine overtimes to Illinois on Saturday night.