3 major takeaways from Sean Clifford returning to Penn State Football in 2022

2. Can Sean Clifford be Kenny Pickett 2.0?

Look no further than within the state of Pennsylvania for a little motivation of what an extra year in college can do for the transformation of a quarterback.

Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett has also been in college since 2017 like Clifford, and until this season was seen as nothing more than a glorified game manager.

He returned for 2021 and is now a Heisman trophy finalist headed to New York tonight after throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdown passes this season, leading his team to an ACC championship and NY6 bowl game.

For context, in nine games in 2020, Pickett threw for 2,408 with only 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions. In 2019, only 10 touchdowns to nine interceptions.

Clifford looked light years ahead of where he was in 2019 and 2020 early this season and was en route to shredding a vaunted Iowa defense that was tops in the sport in almost every statistical category before being knocked out of that game.

He never looked the same after his rib injury, and with no running game at all to speak of and an average at best offensive line, he still managed to throw for 2,912 yards with 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions in 11 starts, eclipsing the 300-yard mark four times this season.

Another full offseason in Mike Yurcich’s offense can only help, and under his watchful eye, it’s not out of the question that Clifford makes a Pickett-like leap in 2022.