Penn State football: are the events of 2016 repeatable?

Penn State football needs better QB play

During the best years of the James Franklin era–2019 excluded–Penn State football was led by Trace McSorley under center. During McSorley’s three seasons as the starter in State College, Penn State compiled a 31-9 record with a Big Ten title, two 11-win seasons, and a win over Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.

Without a doubt, the combination of McSorely and Barkley helped Penn State’s offense and program reach the next level. But as all great college athletes do, McSorley took his talents to the next level in the NFL following the 2018 season. Then comes the Sean Clifford era: 2019 through present.

In his sixth year of college football, Sean Clifford looks to lead Penn State back to where they were three years ago. In his first season as a starter, Clifford propelled Penn State football to an 11-2 record–the program’s third 11-win season in four years–which finished with a win over Memphis in the Cotton Bowl.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, however, Clifford has been heavily criticized for his lack of consistency on the field. In fact, many have called for Clifford to be benched or for the sixth-year Penn State veteran to move on from college football entirely.

If Clifford does not work out, Penn State has a plethora of the nation’s top talent coming in through the recruiting pipelines. This has sparked a brand new debate that will not be answered until the season starts, and both QBs get a real chance to see the field: Drew Allar or Sean Clifford?

Drew Allar will be a freshman in 2022, but his talent and size have made him the topic of many QB-related discussions throughout the Penn State community. Allar comes into State College as the No. 4 QB in his class–a 247Sports 5-star recruit–and the No. 32 overall prospect in his class. Another aspect of Allar that has fans excited is his 6’5, 230lbs frame and his incredible arm.

According to Allan Trieu of 247Sports, Allar “Shows anticipatory feel for the position” and is the “Most naturally talented thrower in the 2022 quarterback class.” All of this gives hope for the Penn State offense, but as usual, the Nittany Lions must now translate the talent into wins on the field.