Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is set for a final season in State College after announcing his intentions to return on Friday afternoon.
“Penn State is more than football for me,” Clifford wrote on Twitter. “It is family. My teammates, Coach Franklin, the staff and the community have shaped me into the man I am today and I am forever grateful…
“With that being said, I will be returning to Penn State to play one more season in the Blue & White. I could not pass up the chance to be with this family and play the game I love again. The opportunity to play alongside my brother, Liam, and the rest of my brothers on the team made this decision easy.”
Friday’s news was a bit unexpected given that Clifford has now started for three-straight years at Penn State and was seemingly headed toward testing NFL Draft waters. While he would not be a high-profile quarterback choice in the upcoming draft, Clifford, who will be 24 at the start of next season, is racing against time as much as anything else at this phase of his career. His continued eligibility is the result of an NCAA ruling in 2020 that effectively gave every player in the nation an extra year of eligibility due to the oddities of the 2020 COVID-19 impacted season.
The announcement itself will only provide further scrutiny of the position and Clifford’s play with the arrival of five-star quarterback Drew Allar to campus this upcoming offseason. As it stands today Penn State would welcome Allar, who recently won Ohio’s Mr. Football Award, and fellow freshman Beau Pribula to campus to join current back-up Christian Veilleux, Clifford and Ta’Quan Roberson.
Clifford has had an up and down career in his 32 games as Penn State’s starter, a tenure that has featured its fair share of injuries as much as up and down play. Clifford generally steadied himself in 2021 — throwing for career-best 2,912 yards and 20 touchdowns against six interceptions — after a poor showing in 2020, but the longtime Nittany Lion quarterback will have plenty to prove during an offseason that does not look to be short on competition.
As for Allar, the highly touted freshman could very well use a season to get his feet wet at the collegiate level, or he may truly test Clifford for the starting job. Penn State coach James Franklin has traditionally been loyal to longtime starters, but has also repeatedly stated that he will not promise starting jobs to anyone.
It could make for an interesting spring and summer as Clifford, Allar and Veilleux battle for the starting job. In the long run, Clifford’s experience may win the day, but a strong showing by Allar might put Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich in a difficult position.
When it’s all said and done college football is a game won by quarterbacks, and Penn State having one of the most experienced in the country and one of the most hyped up-and-coming quarterbacks as well is not a bad thing.
