Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
These are the difference-makers who will determine the Nittany Lions' fate in 2022 1 Sean Clifford QB | Sr.+ | 6-2 | 216 Whatever your opinion of Clifford, there is nobody on the roster who holds a stronger influence over how the Nittany Lions perform this sea- son. Barring something entirely unexpected, Clifford is primed for his fourth season as Penn State's starting quarterback in 2022, and the Nittany Lions will go as he goes. He began the 2021 season well enough, helping PSU to a 5-0 start, before an injury against Iowa derailed his season — and Penn State's season, too. Any chance of the Nittany Lions achieving great things in 2022 has to start and end with a performance from Clifford that equals or surpasses what he did in the first half of 2021. DAV I D E C K E RT | DAV I D E C K E R T 9 8 @ G M A I L . C O M W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T here were 95 players listed on Penn State's football roster heading into the start of spring practice on March 21. Many of those players will see little if any action in Beaver Stadium this coming fall. Some are young and untested and will have to wait their turn. Others have a bit of experience but have yet to make a move to the higher rungs of the depth chart. Still others are walk-ons whose impact on the program will occur almost entirely behind the scenes as members of the scout team. And then there are the 25 players listed below. These are the players that Penn State fans will be talking about for months and, in some cases, years to come. They are almost certain to be featured promi- nently this fall and will play decisive roles in how the Nittany Lions fare as they look to rebound from last year's 7-6 finish. The list is BWI's best attempt at ranking the players on Penn State's roster according to their importance for the 2022 season. It is not a ranking of PSU's best players, although on-field effectiveness is being taken into account, among several other factors. Penn State's Top 25 Penn State's Top 25 Most Important Players Most Important Players Clifford is poised to become a rare four-year starter at quarterback for Penn State. He is one of only three players in school history to eclipse 8,000 yards of total offense. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL 2 8 A P R I L 2 0 2 2