On Monday, Penn State QB Sean Clifford was added to the Maxwell Award watch list. On Tuesday, the veteran QB earned another NCAA preseason honor as he was added to another watch list.
Clifford was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list, which recognizes the top QB talent in NCAA football. Other Big Ten QB’s that received nomination include Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Michigan State’s Payton Thorne and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud.
https://twitter.com/daveyobrien/status/1549393762677407749
The three year starter at Penn State announced he would be returning for his final season back in Dec. 2021. Even more attention has been cast upon Clifford since the arrival of five star freshman quarterback Drew Allar. Some thought Allar would eventually win the starting job from his predecessor, however, the young QB’s subpar performance in the blue and white game quickly pumped the brakes on those discussions.
Clifford is expected by many to be the starter, given his experience and familiarity with Mike Yurcich’s system. The Ohio native has been the target of lots of criticism from Penn State fans over the years despite some success. The truth is, entering his final season, he is 1st among qualified passers in completion percentage in Penn State history.
Clearly, whether a QB is successful or not comes down to a lot more than just completion percentage. Oddly enough, Clifford has also struggled with turnovers as a Nittany Lion. Since becoming the full time starter, Clifford has thrown 24 interceptions in 34 games.
There’s never just one thing that causes an athlete to struggle. The same is true for Clifford. Both Clifford and Penn State’s success has been usurped by inconsistency at some key positions, and not just player positions. Since becoming the starter at Penn State, Clifford has had three different offensive coordinators over three full seasons. Additionally, inconsistent play at offensive line and limited production at running back have hindered the offense’s potential in recent years.
Since Journey Brown’s retirement due to a heart condition, Keyvone Lee has been the squad’s lead back in terms of yardage. Lee, however, has not eclipsed 600+ yards in either of his two seasons. In 2021, Penn State only rushed for 100+ yards as a team in five of its 12 regular season games. Additionally, Penn State was 12th in the Big Ten in rushing yards. Only Purdue and Indiana came in lower.
One thing Clifford has going for him is it will be the first time in his career at Penn State he is entering a year in which he is familiar with his OC and the playbook. Should Clifford bring home either of the Maxwell or Davey O’Brien awards, it would be a strong ending to an up and down college career.
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