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Penn State Football: QB obviously key to continuing great run

By Collin Wieder

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 27: Tommy Stevens #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after rushing for a 3 yard touchdown in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 27, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 27: Tommy Stevens #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after rushing for a 3 yard touchdown in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 27, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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The last time Penn State football found itself at the end of a great run, it didn’t find the answer at QB. This time, the Nittany Lions have options.

Quarterbacks make the big money in the NFL for a good reason, because they impact the team more than anybody else on the field. Penn State football has had a few fantastic quarterbacks in their history. However, it’s struggled at times to continuously find one great signal caller after another in recent memory.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a 31-9, three-year run with all-time great QB Trace McSorley. It now needs the next candidate to step up and fill his shoes. The last great, multi-year run Penn State went on was with Daryll Clark. What followed was a few years of inconsistency before finally deciding on Matt McGloin. The two-year QB controversy between McGloin and Rob Bolden put Penn State’s offense in disarray, and the results were a two-year record of 16-10.

Looking ahead to the fall of 2019, the team doesn’t have to worry nearly as much. There aren’t necessarily unproven names on the depth chart. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Much-hyped, dual-threat, fifth-year senior Tommy Stevens leads a pack of talented QBs. He’s seen loads of time at multiple positions and played significant time under center, specifically while McSorley was out with an injury.

Redshirt sophomore Sean Clifford showed off a big-time arm and nearly-flawless accuracy, albeit a small sample size (5-for-7, 195 yards and two touchdowns). Redshirt freshman and former three-star prospect Will Levis, and highly-recruited Michael Johnson Jr. and Ta’Quan Roberson round out the rest of the QB battle.

With a group as stacked and talented, there’s bound to be a solid starter. Stevens was named QB1 going into the offseason, but he will have to battle against the rest of the depth chart to keep the job in the fall.

Next. Penn State Football 2018 Season Rewind: Nittany Lions outmatched at Michigan. dark

The experience-level, competition and explosive offense at Penn State set this QB spot up for progression and not regression.

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