Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >>
Clifford said, is always willing to hear
suggestions for the offense. So now that
Clifford knows his reads, has a handle on
protections and has mastered the play-
book, he can bring Rahne ideas when he
watches film.
Clifford fancies Oklahoma's offense,
and who wouldn't? The Sooners have led
Power Five teams in points per game in
each of the past three seasons. Clifford
said he feels it's his obligation to analyze
offenses like that to see if they contain
anything Penn State can use.
"It's one of those things where you
watch a lot of teams across the country
and just kind of get ideas," Clifford said.
"So those kind of ideas, if I see something
I really like, I might go to Coach Rahne
and ask him about it."
There was a sense of defiant confidence
pouring from Clifford throughout the
spring. As the Penn State media
machine prodded him over and
over again about Stevens' injury
and the competition that was ex-
pected to ensue in the summer,
Clifford said all the right things.
But he did so without ever backing
down.
It was never confrontational.
Stevens is one of Clifford's best
friends and most important men-
tors. Clifford went out of his way
to make that clear in a recent interview.
In Clifford's mind, as well as Franklin's,
competition is healthy, even if the outside
distractions that come with it often
aren't. The quarterback's priority was to
ensure that he was "keeping my mind on
the team, being team-oriented the whole
time and making sure I'm not only getting
myself better, but getting the younger
guys better and getting the wide receivers
chemistry and also the running backs."
If Clifford's mind wasn't ready when he
arrived, it is now. He's got a quarterback's
arm and a quarterback's makeup, a subtle
kind of charisma that, when paired with
the ability and willingness to lead and
speak out, screams signal-caller.
"At least for me," Clifford said, "if I
know that I need to say something, or I
feel the need to say something, it's not
going to be hard for me to say it."
■
KEY PERSONNEL Sean Cli;ord,
Michael Johnson Jr., Will Levis,
Ta'Quan Roberson, Michael Shuster
LOSSES Trace McSorley*, Tommy
Stevens
RISING STAR The Nittany Lions have
four underclassmen and no proven
starter. That means almost anyone
could be considered a potential rising
star. Our choice? How about the guy
who goes into preseason camp as the
favorite to win the position? That
would be Cli;ord, a redshirt sopho-
more who is poised to become the
team's starter now that Stevens has
le= for Mississippi State.
BIGGEST LOSS McSorley will be a very
di