Three season-defining questions for Penn State's QBs: Entrance Exam
The Penn State Nittany Lions football season begins in less than a month, and Blue-White Illustrated is breaking down the key questions facing each Penn State position group in its new series, Entrance Exam, continuing on the offensive side of the ball with Penn State's quarterbacks.
Check out previous Entrance Exam stories:
Can Mike Yurcich and Sean Clifford click?
This may just be the question that defines the 2021 season for Penn State football.
New offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has developed excellent quarterbacks at every stop along his career, from Mason Rudolph to Justin Fields to Sam Ehlinger.
Can he do the same with Sean Clifford despite his struggles last season?
Clifford turned the ball over consistently in 2020, missed throws he should make, and generally took a step backward from a relatively solid first season as a starting QB in 2019.
Penn State's success on the offensive side of the ball will depend on Yurcich's ability to help Clifford put his tools together and perform effectively on Saturdays.
It's difficult to win games without a solid quarterback, but it will be even more difficult for the Nittany Lions to play the high-octane style on offense that they want to employ if they can't rely on their signal caller.
How does the run game factor in?
Penn State football has shown a consistent willingness under James Franklin to run the ball with its quarterbacks.
Penn State turned to that frequently last season when its offense was not working well, but a mobile quarterback has regularly been a feature of a well-functioning Penn State offense as well.
Clifford has shown himself to be a more than capable runner, but it will be interesting to monitor whether that continues this season with Yurcich at the helm.
Will the lack of depth prove problematic?
Penn State has a serious quarterback depth problem.
Franklin prefers to carry five scholarship quarterbacks, if possible, and considers four scholarship quarterbacks to be the minimum entering each season.
The Nittany Lions will begin 2021 with just three scholarship quarterbacks. Clifford, Ta'Quan Roberson and Christian Veilleux.
Neither Roberson nor Veilleux offers any real experience at the collegiate level. Should Clifford prove ineffective or suffer an injury, would Penn State reasonably be able to rely on one of its other two options?
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