Penn State Football: Franklin Has a Feel for What Quarterback Room Has, but It Still Sounds Like Clifford’s Job to Lose

Penn State’s quarterback competition – and the curiosity if it even really exists in the first place – has been one of the major talking points of spring football and one of the main reasons fans are excited to get a glimpse of the future this weekend at the Blue White game.

So just days from the final spring practice of the year, how has it gone so far?

“We’ve been able to get the guys a bunch of [shoulder pads and helmet] reps, but not enough team reps,” James Franklin said after practice on Wednesday. “So really the last two practices, we shut Sean [Clifford] down, not out of the entire practice, but out of periods of the practice to allow the three other quarterbacks to get more team reps with an offensive line with protection calls and those types of things.”

Rep distribution is always a challenge during this time of year, trying to balance out probable starters working with other starters but also mixing and matching. In the case of Penn State’s quarterback room, it might most be impact by a currently limited offensive line. Getting the likes of freshmen Drew Allar and Beau Pribula snaps is important, but getting them valuable snaps with the first team offensive line – and not snaps with just anyone – is even more important.

So far that has been mission accomplished, but not without its limitations.

“I think that’s been really valuable,” Franklin added. “We’ll get a chance to watch the film but it was last practice and this practice that we were able to do that. That’s where you have to be really creative because when you are in a situation like we are with the offensive line, if you’re not careful, it will stunt the development of other positions, specifically quarterback.”

As far as the race itself, long held hopes by many Penn State fans that Allar, a former five-star prospect, would give them something new to look at in 2022-23 might end up being nothing more than a dream at this point. While Franklin has generally been quiet when it comes to the status of the quarterback competition – he hasn’t given any indication that Clifford isn’t still the guy to beat.

If anything, Christian Veilleux still appears to be Clifford’s backup, which would mean Allar would have to unseat two quarterbacks to get the starting job with spring ball winding down and training camp not far away.

Possible? Perhaps, but if there is an upset brewing, Franklin isn’t leaving any of those clues.

“Veilleux has gotten a bunch of reps to build off of what he did last year,” Franklin added. “I know talking to the true freshmen, they weren’t really sure how many reps that they were going to get and they’ve gotten more than they thought they were going to get. So I’ve been pleased with that overall. You’d always want more but I think we got a pretty good feel. Obviously with Sean but also Christian where he’s at? Beau and Drew, they’ve gotten enough work that you’ve got a feel. I wouldn’t say that any decisions have been made but you’ve got a pretty good feel of what you got with those guys.”

Of course where they are now and where they are a few weeks into training camp might be two very different things, but if the job isn’t Clifford’s there isn’t a lot of smoke to that fire.

Then again, whatever Clifford’s flaws might be, Allar would have to do quite a lot to be the better option than a three-year starter.