Post Spring Practice: Will Penn State Football be Ranked?

The Argument For (Part 1)

The No. 1 reason to be optimistic about Penn State in 2022 is the fact that Clifford is back for a sixth season and that he’s healthy.

Prior to his injury, Clifford looked comfortable in Mike Yurcich’s offense and his decision making was better than it was in years past. The injury clearly restricted Clifford physically and he played differently in order to protect himself, and honestly who can blame him.

Pre-injury stats for Clifford: Six games, 1,482 yards, 66.3% completion, 11 touchdowns, five interceptions and 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Post-injury stats: Seven games, 1,625 yards, 57.2% completion, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions and -10 rushing yards with no touchdowns. (Sacks count against quarterback rushing stats in college)

Additionally, the talent behind Clifford is also in far better shape than it was at this time last year. Christian Veilleux is now an experienced backup and Drew Allar and Beau Pribula both have promising futures. If Clifford was to miss time, there will not be a panic like there was last year.

This will also be Clifford’s second season in Yurcich’s system, finally giving the quarterback some stability. From the time of his commitment in 2015 to today, Clifford has dealt with five different Penn State offensive coordinators.

Clifford can finally feel comfortable in a system.

This doesn’t just apply to Clifford, but the offense as a whole. Jahan Dotson (more on him later) is the only key skill position player who will not be returning in 2022. Everyone is going to be more familiar with Yurcich’s system in 2022 and that’s not something to overlook.

As mentioned, Dotson is off to the NFL and while replacing him will not be easy, James Franklin and his staff will do their best to do so. They brought in Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley, who had 87 catches for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Additionally, Parker Washington, Keandre Lambert-Smith and Malick Meiga are all a year older and ready for increased roles in the offense. Wide receiver should not be a concern but losing a first-round pick isn’t something to shrug at.

Tight end also isn’t a concern. The three-headed monster of Theo Johnson, Brenton Strange and Tyler Warren may not get involved as much as some would like to see, but they make plays when called upon.

The offensive line received some reinforcements with the addition of Cornell transfer Hunter Nourzad. Nourzad is slated to be a guard for the Nittany Lions. Olu Fashanu is projected to be the starting left tackle, replacing Rasheed Walker, who is now a member of the Green Bay Packers. Juice Scruggs will move from guard to center this year, he was arguably the most consistent offensive lineman last year. Caedan Wallace is expected to keep his right tackle job, while Landon Tengwall and Saleem Wormley will battle for the other guard spot.

The hope is that the improvement of the interior of the offensive line will help the run game. It’s no secret that Penn State struggled to run the ball in 2021, and it was one of the biggest reasons that the team struggled in the back half of the season. With the additions of freshmen Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, this unit now has a nice mix of youth and talent to go along with the experience of Keyvone Lee and Devyn Ford.

The offense does not lack talent, it’s all about keeping that talent healthy and putting them in the best position to succeed.