Penn State football: Sean Clifford, Will Levis remain in tight battle

Penn State football quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Will Levis have not entirely separated themselves this summer quite yet.

All good things must come to an end. Penn State football will find that out first-hand this summer as they prepare for yet another NCAA season — but this time without their All-Time passing leader Trace McSorley in the picture. The situation got even tougher when the player the Lions coached up to replace McSorley up and left to join Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State.

Fortunately, the Nittany Lions prepared for this moment as they have a promising young four-star prospect on deck in Sean Clifford. Just because Clifford came third on the depth chart behind Tommy Stevens though doesn’t automatically guarantee him a starting spot for this season.

James Franklin would never name an unproven player a starter without a little bit of competition. He’s seen Clifford throw a total of seven passes in his young NCAA career. Therefore, he’s far from a lock to start. On the other end, Freshman quarterback Will Levis has thrown seven fewer passes than Clifford has. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an opportunity to start.

The beauty in the James Franklin way is the fact that these two quarterbacks have to compete for their positions. Levis is more than willing to take a backup role if it is issued to him, but he’s also motivated to give Clifford a run for his money this summer.

Last month, Clifford, Levis, and Coach Franklin all discussed that battle that has finally ensued. Clifford knows he has to compete, but in the meantime, he’s been the acting QB1 in terms of leading the offense and taking reps. Franklin has praised both talents, but still refuses to name a starter for the season opener on August 31st.

How long will the battle take place?

When will the Lions figure out who’s going to start the 2019 season? Whenever it becomes obvious. That’s been the plan all along, and so far, the answer isn’t right in front of them. Many may believe the process will be drawn out for competitive purposes, but that’s not actually the case. James Franklin and Lions’ offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne think the sooner they find the answer to their major question, the better off they will be.

Now that the Lions have had more than a few practices, they haven’t reached a point where they are even 90-percent sure yet, which is where they want to be. It will take time — especially since both Clifford and Levis are working hard for what they deserve. PennLive’s Greg Pickel mentioned that analytics and gut feeling would help Penn State make their decision, and right now the answer just isn’t available for them to make the call this early.