Penn State fans got a brief glimpse of [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] in action in Week 1 against Purdue, but head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] is reluctant to say the freshman will be the top backup to [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] again in week 2.
Franklin named Allar the team’s backup quarterback in Penn State’s season opener at Purdue. Allar got on the field to run the offense for a series in the third quarter while Clifford was attended to briefly in the locker room. But despite the brief appearance as Penn State’s backup quarterback, Franklin is heading into Week 2 looking for a competition at the backup position between Allar and [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag].
“We haven’t really made any decisions,” Franklin said on Tuesday in a press conference with the media when asked if Allar will be the backup option again. “We had basically a Friday corrections jog-through practice, and kind of a bonus one on Sunday, which we were able to do a little bit more, but we still were only in helmets.”
“Tuesday and Wednesday are our work days where we get the best evaluation of where we’re at,” Franklin explained. “That determines maybe some moves that we may or may not make. It’s a competition week-in and week-out. I don’t have that answer for you right now.”
A week ago, Franklin came right out and said Allar would be the team’s backup. This week, he is clearly taking a more open approach to not necessarily rule out the possibility Veilleux gets the nod if needed. It is an interesting change in messaging from the head coach, and there could be multiple reasons to do so for Franklin. Franklin has always been one to pump up competition for the team’s best interest. But the public messaging on the subject could also be a tactic used to try to convince Veilleux he is still a key member of the team to keep him from contemplating entering the transfer portal.
Penn State has lost two backup quarterbacks to the transfer portal since the end of the 2020 season with [autotag]Will Levis[/autotag] going to Kentucky and [autotag]Ta’Quan Roberson[/autotag] heading to UConn.
Penn State faces Ohio in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, September 10 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
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