Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Q U A R T E R B A C K S / / / / / / / W ho would you choose if you were to build the perfect Penn State quarterback using the traits of differ- ent players? Let's step into the lab and create the Nittany Lions' ideal passer based on traits we've identified as necessary for success. We'll be limit- ing the exercise to James Franklin-era quarterbacks. FRAME: Drew Allar There are plenty of candidates who can take the top spot for having the proper frame, but Al- lar edges out the competition as the prototype for our quarterback build. The incumbent starter heads into his junior season listed at 6-foot-5, 238 pounds and still probably has a little more room to grow if he chooses to do so. While he's not the most athletic quarterback we've seen at Penn State, no signal-caller of the Franklin era has as much raw potential as Allar. ACCURACY: Trace McSorley This is the one area in which Penn State quarter- backs have faltered over the past decade. Among the signal-callers who've seen meaningful playing time during Franklin's tenure, there hasn't been one elite passer with consistent pinpoint accuracy. McSorley takes the spot because he is the best of the Franklin-era starters in this area. Sean Clifford had the best overall mechanics and accuracy when he was on, but he found himself on the wrong end of too many bad decisions and rushed attempts. McSorley was not ultra-accurate, either. His big- gest struggles came with RPO footwork — plays in which he had to set his feet and deliver the ball underneath quickly. While it's still much too early to say for certain, current freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer has the skills to take this spot in the future if he continues to progress and earns the starting job. ARM TALENT: Drew Allar Again, we'll side with Allar in a closely contested battle with Will Levis, the Penn State backup who blossomed into a star after transferring to Ken- tucky in 2021. From a strength perspective, Levis rivals Allar in a pure velocity argument. But if we fold in the different aspects of "arm talent," Allar has the edge. As a college player, Levis had a game that was defined by sheer force. From his running style to his throwing style, the future second-round draft pick knew only one speed. Allar has yet to show all of his gifts to their full- est but can change the speed of his passes and generate velocity with less effort. We've seen him throw with different arm slots and thread the football into tight windows with a quick delivery. ATHLETICISM: Tommy Stevens It's hard to argue that any Penn State quarter- back was as gifted as Stevens. Playing in the Ca- nadian Football League last year, the former Penn State backup quarterback had 44 carries and 6 touchdowns. He was also listed at an astonishing 257 pounds. While he never developed into the dual-threat nightmare that the Lions' coaching staff had hoped to see, there's no question he was athletic enough to see the field as a senior had he opted to stay at PSU rather than trans- ferring to Mississippi State ahead of the 2019 season. PRE-SNAP: Sean Clifford It helped that Clifford stayed in school for six years; by the end of his career, few quarterbacks could rival Clifford's understanding of defenses. He consistently got Penn State into the right plays and looked to give his offense a chance. His play, plus an infusion of young talent, sparked the team to an unexpected 11-2 season and Rose Bowl victory in 2022. Clifford's preparation and football understand- ing are well-known among the current crop of quarterbacks, and that emphasis has been passed down to the new group of signal-callers. POST-SNAP/DECISION-MAKING: Trace McSorley There's hardly any debate about which quar- terback filled out the "moxie" category on this list. Even in the NFL, McSorley has had a knack for threading the football into windows he has no business making. His fearlessness, paired with great decision-making in the moment, powered Penn State to a Big Ten championship and a couple of 11-win seasons. He was also Penn State's best dual-threat quar- terback, making great decisions on RPOs and reading options to maximize the team's efficiency at the margins. LEADERSHIP: Sean Clifford This isn't just about success. Learning to deal with failure, navigating through difficulties and emerging on the other side while bringing your teammates along with you is also leadership. While McSorley led Penn State to its highest highs, Clifford led it through its most complex chal- lenges since the NCAA sanctions. He captained the offense throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with a coordinator transition. Later, Clif- ford helped the team adapt to yet another coordi- nator when Mike Yurcich was hired to replace Kirk Ciarrocca following the 2020 season. He wasn't perfect through the process, but on the other side, he found success and an eventual NFL roster spot with the Green Bay Packers. ■ U P O N F U R T H E R R E V I E W THOMAS FRANK CARR T F R A N K .C A R R @ O N 3 .C O M Building The Prototype Penn State Quarterback In addition to throwing for a school-record 10,661 yards, Sean Clifford was an effective leader during his tenure as Penn State's starting quarterback from 2019-22. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL