Penn State Football: 10 storylines that will define Nittany Lions’ 2021 season

1. Penn State Football QB Sean Clifford will Bounce Back

It is no secret that Sean Clifford is one of the biggest question marks for this Penn State Football team in 2021.

Clifford has a lot of the physical tools to be successful. He is very athletic with a strong arm. However, he needs to clean some things up from last season, and I expect him to do that.

For The Blogy mentions in their film study of Sean Clifford that he makes great “off platform throws”, or throwing on the run. However, they also point out that his accuracy is inconsistent, in part due to “erratic mechanics.”

I expect Yurcich to clean some of that up. Yurcich has a track record of working with some great college quarterbacks such as; Rudolph, Justin Fields, and Sam Ehlinger. I also expect an improved offensive system/playbook under Yurcich to help Clifford flourish.

Some people have criticized Clifford for having “happy feet” in the pocket and not going through his progressions. With a much improved offensive line in 2021, look for that to provide comfort for Clifford to remain calm and patient in the pocket and find the open man.

Looking at Clifford’s game by game stats from 2020, he improved from throwing eight interceptions over the first five games, to only one in the final four. Additionally, he had a 59.5% completion percentage in the first five games compared to a much better 66.2% in the final four games.

Look for Clifford to carry that positive momentum into this season.

Lastly, Clifford will not be expected to carry this offense by himself. He has a great group of running backs that will pick up a lot of yards on the ground for this offense, along with a great group of wide receivers and tight ends to throw to. Expect to see a much different version of Sean Clifford in 2021.