It is a rarity in college football to have the same starting quarterback for four consecutive seasons. Yet, in these unprecedented times, that will likely be the case for Penn State in 2022. The return of Sean Clifford in 2022 provides the Penn State offense with an experienced starter in an offense that will be looking to retool a few things on the ground and replace its leading receiver. Having a player who has been through the ups and downs of the offense could be encouraging, but the big question may be whether or not Clifford is merely standing in the way of the future.
Penn State’s quarterback situation is a unique one for the 2022 season and one that will surely be under the microscope every step of the way this offseason, beginning with spring football practices. And, for the first time in a long time, Penn State will be able to go into the spring with the same offensive coordinator and quarterback coach from the previous season. Mike Yurcich left some expectations unfulfilled in his first season with the Nittany Lions, but having a chance to work issues that arose in 2021 may be beneficial for Yurcich, Clifford, and the entire Penn State offense.
The return of Sean Clifford
Prior to the Outback Bowl, with players across Penn State’s roster declaring for an early departure to the NFL, Clifford announced he would be coming back for one final season, his sixth in Happy Valley. Clifford is one of the players taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted to every student-athlete by the NCAA as a result of the 2020 pandemic season. And it is probably a wise decision for Clifford to come back for another year.
Clifford got off to a more confident start to his 2021 season after an abysmal start to the 2020 season. Clifford cut down on turnovers and wasn’t forcing plays that weren’t there, which cost him in the two previous seasons and were prominent in games lost by the Nittany Lions. But a road trip to Iowa saw Clifford get banged up bad enough to take him out of the game, which ultimately changed the entire script for the game and turned a 17-3 advantage into a heartbreaking loss with a stale offense without Clifford on the field.
Clifford didn’t look great for the rest of the season. The offense was inconsistent with Clifford at quarterback, and the bowl game loss to Arkansas may have been the worst game played by Clifford all season long (outside of the Illinois debacle). With that being the case, it makes all the sense in the world for Clifford to want to come back, work with the same coordinator and QB coach for a second straight season, and see if he can make the changes necessary to not only improve Penn State’s chances of winning more games, but also potentially get him into the NFL draft conversation.
Most college coaches would love to have a four-year starter at quarterback, and James Franklin will likely embrace this situation as much as possible. But the return of Clifford could hold back the next top quarterback at Penn State from being able to do his thing.