Who is missing?
Not surprisingly, Penn State did lose a quarterback through the transfer portal this offseason. This was to be expected with Clifford announcing his return and Penn State signing one of the top passers in the Class of 2022 with Drew Allar. And given how the events of the 2021 season unfolded, it was far from shocking to see Ta’Quan Roberson decide to throw his name into the NCAA transfer portal database and ultimately commit to another program.
Roberson has joined the UConn football program, now under new head coach Jim Mora. At UConn, Roberson figures to have a real chance to win a starting role leading the Huskies, and perhaps may have a chance to redeem himself. Roberson was thrown into a tough spot in his only significant playing time during the 2021 season when he was tasked with replacing an injured Clifford on the road against a feisty Iowa defense that had been picking off opponents left and right. Roberson’s performance against Iowa was incredibly discouraging, but there is no disputing that was an incredibly challenging spot to be thrown into.
Later in the season, against Rutgers, it was notable Roberson did not get to see the field in relief of a once-again injured Clifford. Instead, it was Christian Veilleux who stepped in to lead the Penn State offense.
Speaking of Veilleux…