Penn State fans are excited about the future of the quarterback situation in Happy Valley with the addition of Drew Allar in the Class of 2022. But the return of experienced starter Sean Clifford in 2022 likely means fans will have to wait for Allar to officially take over as the program’s starting quarterback. Regardless, the quarterback situation appears to be in a good shape in the coming years with one of the top quarterback recruits in the most recent recruiting class.
As a result, Penn State’s quarterback outlook in the next few years is among the best in the country. However, according to a ranking of quarterback futures compiled by Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, the Nittany Lions actually come just outside the top 10.
Rittenberg recently ranked Penn State No. 11 in his top 25 QB futures as spring football arrives for the 2022 season. And, to be fair, it’s not a bad ranking. As good as Allar may end up being, there are a number of other programs who have a stronger history of developing high-powered college quarterbacks or have a coaching situation that has an incredible track record with quarterbacks. Ohio State, for instance, tops Rittenberg’s list with C.J. Stroud already establishing himself as the top passer in the Big Ten and Kyle McCord sitting in waiting after Stroud likely leaves after the 2022 season.
USC, with new head coach Lincoln Riley and ex-Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams following him to Los Angeles, certainly has a lot to look forward too given Riley’s recent history with Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterbacks. The Trojans ranked second on Rittenberg’s list, followed by Alabama, home to the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.
Penn State comes in at No. 11, one spot behind the Michigan Wolverines. Here’s what Rittenberg said about the future QB outlook in Happy Valley;
The tepid reaction from some Penn State fans to Clifford’s return surprised me. Clifford improved markedly last season, and at times carried an offense that never ran the ball effectively. He had 3,107 pass yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions, although his struggles with accuracy showed up at times. He also dealt with injuries. Still, he enters 2022 as one of the nation’s most experienced quarterbacks, boasting 7,839 career pass yards and 62 touchdowns in 33 starts. If Penn State can play better along the line and at running back, Clifford should give the offense enough to produce.
The real reason for the reaction to Clifford is Drew Allar, the most anticipated Penn State quarterback recruit since Christian Hackenberg. Allar is ESPN’s No. 2 pocket passer and No. 50 overall prospect in the 2022 class. He should lead the PSU offense in 2023 and 2024, and possibly sooner. Don’t forget about Christian Veilleux, who led Penn State to a win over Rutgers last year. Penn State also added a second quarterback in the 2022 class in four-star prospect Beau Pribula, a native of York, Pennsylvania.
One thing we will be watching with the quarterback situation is the transfer portal. With Clifford back in 2022 and Allar fully expected to be his successor in 2023 (or earlier?), and the way college football is these days, it should probably be expected at least one of the other quarterbacks mentioned by Rittenberg could potentially explore the transfer portal. Christian Veilleux dazzled in his brief playing time last season and Allar is joined in the Class of 2022 by Beau Pribula. But you can only play one quarterback, and the future of the position will be built around Allar.
Perhaps the potential of a transfer portal departure (or two) plays into the overall outlook for Rittenberg as well. Or maybe it doesn’t. Either way, the quarterback position at Penn State appears to be in a good position for the next few years.
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