Penn State has been active in the transfer portal this offseason. The activity reportedly has continued with the pending addition of former Florida State cornerback, but there is still one position Penn State is expected to add to through the transfer portal before the start of the 2021 season. The quarterback position was thought to be high on the list of offseason priorities for Penn State, yet the Nittnay Lions have not found the right addition just yet.
Head coach James Franklin said during spring football practices that Penn State would not be adding a quarterback just to add a quarterback. Instead, Franklin stressed the importance of finding the right fit for the Penn State offense, and preferably someone with some real game experience to fall back on should the Nittany Lions need it.
It’s been a while since we last took a hard look at the list of available quarterbacks in the transfer portal this offseason. Some of the names we previously explored have since gone on to make their transfer destinations known (like Joe Milton transferring from Michigan to Tennessee). But some options, including Austin Kendall from West Virginia and Devon Modster from Cal are among those still lingering.
One of the names that popped up after our initial review was former LSU quarterback TJ Finley. While Penn State was considered to be in the final running, he chose to stay in the SEC and transfer to Auburn instead. So it was back to the drawing board for Penn State.
As the month of June comes to a close and with Penn State focusing plenty of energy on the recruiting efforts for the Class of 2022, just where does finding a new quarterback sit on the offseason to-do list right now?
First, the idea that Penn State doesn’t view adding a quarterback as a priority this summer should probably be removed from the discussion. Franklin and his staff are fully aware that there is a serious lack of experience behind their third-year starter, Sean Clifford. Should Clifford need to be replaced for any reason, there would still be a much better comfort level riding the ship with someone who has some experience playing college football compared to the current backup options in Taquan Roberson and Christian Veilleux. That is not to say either of those two are or will be bad quarterbacks, but there is something to be said about experience and neither of them have it at this time.
Second, there really may not be much of a rush right now. The transfer portal is still full of quarterback options and the season does not start for another two months. Even an addition in late July gives a transfer the entire month of August to be with the team and go through a full fall camp before the start of the season. And if they already have some experience, the transition could be smoother.
Or third, maybe there are still more options on the way? The transfer portal is always having names added to it and it is still possible a quarterback that fits what Penn State is aiming for could still come along. So if Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich aren’t blown away by any current options in the transfer portal, perhaps another new addition could open their eyes at some point.
For now, the waiting game continues.
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