ALTOONA, Pa. -- What will Sean Clifford decide to do? And Drew Allar? And James Franklin -- or whoever is coaching Penn State -- with regards to the transfer portal?
We've been getting a bunch of questions and comments over the past two weeks about Clifford's future and the future of the Penn State quarterback position. It's all fascinating on many levels, because there are a bunch of factors that could determine how everything plays out.
Here are the candidates to be the Nittany Lions' starter next year:
- Sean Clifford
- Ta'Quan Roberson
- Christian Veilleux
- Drew Allar
- Transfer portal guy
So much of this discussion hinges on what Clifford decides -- whether to return for one more season or to try his luck turning pro.
I asked him last week if he had given much thought to that decision.
"I really haven't thought about it that much," Clifford said. "Obviously that's something I want to sit down with coaches and my family and talk about the pros and cons of everything. I mean, it's not something that really needs to be addressed right now because we have so much season left. I'm just kind of focusing and taking advantage of every opportunity that I have with this team."
Let's take a closer look at each possibility:
SEAN CLIFFORD: He got another year of eligibility, as did all players, because of COVID last year. That gives Clifford a chance to be a rare four-year starter if he decides to come back next year. He could turn pro, but at this stage, I don't think he would get drafted. He's projected to be an undrafted free agent by the folks at NFL Mock Draft Database, although he could improve his stock with a big finish this season and good workouts at pre-draft camps.
The thing is, Clifford will be 24 years old next season. Even if there's not much chance of him getting drafted, would he really want to come back to college? Yes, he could still improve his stock some, but if he hasn't shown NFL teams enough by now, how much more could he really show them? And if he does play another year of college football, he would already be 25 years old by the time he'd be getting to the NFL in 2023.
Clifford's younger brother, Liam, is a freshman wide receiver for Penn State. Perhaps having his brother there could lead Clifford to coming back for another year.
But what if Clifford decides to play another year of college football, only someplace else? He could enter the transfer portal and would be an enticing target since he has three years of starting experience. Depending on how the coaching situation goes with Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, I could see Clifford looking to go elsewhere if Penn State gets a new coach.
That could be risky because Clifford would be walking away from the security of a starting job at a familiar place to try his luck somewhere else. But if some major power out there -- say Clemson for instance -- feels like it needs a one-year starting QB, Clifford could be among the candidates.
My projection: I think this will be it for Clifford at Penn State and he will decide to turn pro. I have no inside information on that, it's just my gut feeling based on his age and potential desire to move on with his life and see if he can make it in the pros.
Update: I didn't have this in the original story, but the tweet below brings up an excellent point about NIL money. One would think Clifford could still get paid a good bit if he returns to college, which may or may not impact his decision.
No idea. But there is NIL money still to be made. NIL has changed a lot. A wrestler for Michigan is literally going into year 8!
— Ryan Dinger (@nitryan11) November 2, 2021
DREW ALLAR: He's the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country, and everyone who has seen him says he's the real deal. He's committed to Penn State, but will he end up there?
That very much could depend on what Franklin does. If he leaves for, say, USC, you'd have to think he'd be taking Yurcich with him. And Yurcich seems to be the key with Allar, having recruited him for a long time. So, we'd have to wait and see if Allar would follow Yurcich wherever he goes.
But let's say Allar does come to Penn State. He will be a true freshman. Personally, I do not like going with a true freshman as a starting quarterback at a major program, simply because the learning curve from high school to college is massive. I'd prefer to give the kid some time to get acclimated as a freshman before throwing him into the fire.
But that's just me. If Allar truly is some kind of wunderkind who is ready for the huge challenge, then sure, he could be in line to potentially start next year.
My projection: I don't see Allar as the starter, not right away, at least. But there will be other factors that determine this, namely ...
TRANSFER PORTAL GUY: If Clifford leaves, Penn State would be a very appealing place for a lot of quarterbacks in the portal. Whether it's Franklin or anyone else coaching, the Lions could offer someone a chance to come in and be the starter right away.
Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma figures to be the biggest target in the portal, a former No. 1 NFL draft pick projection who struggled this season with the Sooners and lost his starting job to freshman phenom Caleb Williams. I don't know if Rattler would come to Penn State, but it's worth asking the question of who would Lions fans rather have start next year -- Rattler, who does have experience and a huge upside -- or Allar coming in as a true freshman?
I'm only using Rattler as an example here, and if Yurcich is still at Penn State, that could be enticing to Rattler. But there will be several other quarterback targets in the transfer portal who could be primed to step in right away and be productive wherever they go.
My projection: Again, if Clifford leaves, this would be the route I would go at Penn State. Bring in a veteran transfer that you expect to be there one year as the starter, let Allar learn for a year and then turn to the reigns over to him in 2023. I'm not saying Penn State would be able to land Rattler, but there will be good options in the portal. Better options, in my opinion, than having a true freshman step in and start right away.
And hey, if the transfer you bring in winds up struggling for half a season, you could turn to Allar at that point and he'd at least have been given some time to learn things as opposed to starting right off the bat.
TA'QUAN ROBERSON: We really have to wonder just how good this young man is, since the coaches showed zero confidence not putting him in against Illinois two weeks ago when Clifford was severely limited in what he could do.
I'm not sure I see much future for Roberson at Penn State and wouldn't be surprised if he enters the transfer portal this offseason. I can't see him sticking around if the Lions do look to bring in a veteran QB who will be expecting to start.
CHRISTIAN VEILLEUX: He really wouldn't be much of an option to start next season, unless Penn State can't get any type of veteran from the portal, which would be a big mistake. But Veilleux could compete with Allar or anyone else for second string.
I cannot stress enough that none of these questions can be answered until we know what's going to happen with Franklin, and by extension Yurcich.
