Penn State Sports Magazine
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3 4 A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M QUARTERBACKS PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern STARTER ★★★ Super senior Sean Clifford's reign as starter is about to extend into its fourth year, and all bets are off. Between his debut in 2019, the disaster of 2020, and the up-and-down, injury-plagued per- formance of 2021, Clifford has ticked every box on the checklist. The Nittany Lions finished as a top-10 program behind his performance as a redshirt sophomore in 2019. A year later, his struggles led to a mid- season benching, undoubtedly a development worthy of "major concern" status. Then came the 2021 season, in which he hit every mark along the way. Clifford led Penn State's charge to the No. 4 ranking after the season's first five weeks, then got hurt at Iowa, an injury that resulted in a precipitous fall toward a 7-6 final record and a disappearance from the Top 25. Where does Clifford stand going into his bonus season of eligibility? If prior performances are to be used as indica- tors, Clifford's numbers are likely to closely corre- late with the performances of those surrounding him on offense. From the offensive line to the running backs, receivers and tight ends, the bet- ter his support system, the better his play. EXPERIENCE ★★★★★ Having turned 24 years old in mid-July, Clifford will be one of the oldest and most experienced players in college football in 2022. He's seen action in 38 games and gotten 2,127 snaps at the position during the past four seasons. For comparison, Clifford's predecessor at Penn State, Trace McSorley, finished his college career with 2,678 snaps over four seasons. Clifford will easily eclipse that number, and many of McSorley's pro- gram records (for volume, anyway), by the middle of the 2022 season. The Nittany Lions don't have a whole lot of ex- perience behind Clifford, but they do have some, which puts them ahead of where they were last year. Christian Veilleux made a dramatic debut as a true freshman, coming on in relief of a flu- stricken Clifford against Rutgers and completing 15 of 24 passes for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 28-0 victory. Veilleux also saw action in the Outback Bowl against Arkansas. While his statistical portfolio could hardly be considered extensive, he's got more experience under his belt than Ta'Quan Roberson had going into the 2021 season as Clif- ford's backup. Behind Veilleux, the Nittany Lions have two true freshmen in Beau Pribula and Drew Allar, both of whom arrived on campus in January and have yet to play in a college game. DEPTH ★★★ Given the transitory nature of the quarterback position in college football, Penn State can feel good about its depth going into preseason camp. While much of the Nittany Lions' offensive suc- cess this year will ride on the performance of Clifford, Veilleux's experience working with offen- sive coordinator Mike Yurcich should be a major bonus. Beyond Veilleux, Penn State's numbers are again back to something more comforting with four total scholarship quarterbacks in preseason camp. Allar and Pribula are new to the college game, but the former arrives as an On3 Consen- sus five-star and the No. 4 quarterback in the class of 2022. Pribula, meanwhile, turned heads in his first spring at Penn State with his playmak- ing ability. Heading into the 2022 season, Penn State ap- pears to have the right mix in its quarterbacks room: a veteran returning starter, a clearcut backup with real experience, and quality new- comers who are aiming to develop in their first seasons in the program. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ Choosing a grade for Penn State's quarterbacks is a losing proposition. As an invigorated fifth-year senior in 2021, Clif- ford led the Nittany Lions to a 5-0 start and pro- pelled them to 17 first-half points at Iowa before having to leave the game with an injury. As a worn-down, beleaguered quarterback hob- bled by several key opt-outs in the Outback Bowl, he was less than stellar. Clifford completed just 14 of 32 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, with 2 interceptions. His lackluster performance was a big part of Penn State's largely uncompetitive 24- 10 loss to Arkansas to cap the season. So, which version of Clifford can Penn State ex- pect to see in the fall? At this early stage, with the season opener still weeks away, the only honest way to assess the Nittany Lions' quarterback situ- ation is to acknowledge the incredible range of possibilities, both positive and negative. With Veilleux providing a viable backup option in case of emergency, Penn State's floor has been lifted. But for the Nittany Lion offense to reach its full potential, Clifford and Yurcich must produce an improved performance this year. BY THE NUMBERS 33 Career starts for Sean Clifford. The sixth-year senior has the most starts of any player on the roster this year — with a 12-game edge over the next- most-experienced starter (redshirt junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr.). That its most experienced player happens to play the position where experience matters most is an advantage Penn State hopes to fully exploit this season. 57 Career snaps for redshirt freshman Christian Veil- leux, Penn State's most experienced quarterback behind Clifford. That's not a lot, but it's an improvement on the 2021 preseason when Ta'Quan Roberson had eight career snaps in his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions. 2,060 Passing yards needed by Clifford to sur- pass Trace McSorley as Penn State's ca- reer leader. Clifford's 7,839 career passing yards currently rank third all-time for the Nittany Lions. Christian Hack- enberg is second, having thrown for 8,457 yards during a three-year career that ended in 2015. C h r i st i a n Ve i l le u x s aw action in two games dur- ing his debut season with the Nittany Lions, lifting the team to a 28-0 vic- tory over Rutgers while also playing a handful of snaps against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL