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Will Tommy Stevens leave Penn State, or will he return for a fifth and final season?
It’s easily the biggest question facing the Nittany Lions as individual player meetings continue before the coaching staff hits the road in full force to recruit during the spring evaluation period.
Stevens caught the college football world by surprise when his name popped into the supposedly private but almost immediately public NCAA transfer portal database on Wednesday afternoon. It means he could move on but does not have to. Other schools can contact him freely now, however, and it looks as if several coaches from elsewhere started following the passer on social media shortly after the news broke courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.
All of this could mean that the Sean Clifford era is going to begin sooner than expected. Or, Stevens, who has graduated, could come back for the second time in his career (a transfer was considered last season, too, before the portal existed), win the job once healthy (he was limited all spring due to a foot injury), and take the spot most thought he would as Trace McSorley’s replacement.
Either way, a decision should not be expected in short order. For starters, Stevens is sure to finish the spring semester, which ends in early May, at University Park before making a decision one way or the other. Visits would probably come into play, too, which could further extend the process.
All of it begs the question, though: What do we know about Sean Clifford?
The redshirt sophomore was an Elite 11 invitee as a four-star recruit at St. Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Class of 2017 signee had nearly 30 offers from other schools. Michigan State, Notre Dame, and some others were once in play, but the Lions seemed like a longtime favorite and won convincingly in the end.
Clifford, who now wears No. 14 for the Lions, has an incredible competitive streak, evidenced by his comments this spring about fighting for the job and also by the oft-told story about how he suffered a broken hand after frustration over a weight room failure boiled over into physical action.
“That’s not the way to do it,” Clifford said last year. “I learned a lot and learned how to hone my competitive nature. You have to keep a level head all the time.”
A 95-yard touchdown pass to receiver Daniel George during the Kent State game a year ago made Clifford a program record-holder, as the completion now stands as Penn State’s longest pass play and play from scrimmage ever, despite all the history that came before that moment in program lore. A strong arm was showcased during the Blue-White game, as was some touch passing on a couple of throws down the seam to tight end Nick Bowers.
Many will view Clifford as a statue in the pocket, which is not an accurate representation of how he could fit into Ricky Rahne’s offense. He does not possess Stevens’ or McSorley’s speed at 6-foot-2, 218 pounds but it’s not necessary for him to as long as the ability to avoid the rush and make occasional plays with his feet, is there. Penn State’s coaches feel that it is now but wasn’t when he first came to campus a few years, and the fact that he had the third-fastest NFL shuttle time for a Lions’ quarterback since 2012 last winter offers more evidence of that.
“He went from what people would list as a pro-style quarterback to, I think, a guy that is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback who can hurt you in many different ways because he’s worked so hard at changing his body and getting more explosive,” head coach James Franklin said a week ago.
“He’s a guy that the game comes pretty naturally to in terms of finding the open receiver.”
Clifford was also praised by offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne after last Saturday’s Blue-White scrimmage.
“I think Clifford is probably a better athlete than people think he is,” Rahne said. "He was able to get out of the pocket and make some plays with his feet.
“Obviously there were a couple times where I wish we would’ve taken the first read and got the ball out of our hands a little bit faster, but in general, I’ve been pleased with the way Cliff has moved in the pocket all spring.”
And how did the quarterback summarize the last 15 practices in which he spent most of the time taking the first-team reps?
“I think it was a great spring for the whole team, honestly,” Clifford said.
“A lot of reps were taken. Offensively, we took a lot of strides forward with a lot of young guys, which is awesome. That’s always one of the keys of spring. Defensively, we look really good. I think today showed a lot of talent that we have on this team, so I’m really excited about it.”
There is little doubt that Clifford is excited about whatever opportunity lies ahead. Stevens surely is too, regardless of whether it is at Penn State or elsewhere.
Over the weeks and months to come, plenty will be decided. More players could decide to transfer after they learn exactly where they stand on the depth chart, and some could transfer in, as receivers George Campbell and Weston Carr plan to, between now and the start of camp.
Penn State exited spring practice no closer to answering its starting quarterback dilemma than it was when drills began in mid-March. Wednesday’s transfer portal news may change that, and then again, maybe it will not.
The ball is in Stevens’ court now. Lions’ faithful have an idea about what he is capable of and also know that he’s loyal. Clifford, on the other hand, is less experienced but will fight for the job whether it is against a veteran (Stevens) or redshirt freshman (Levis).
“We’re just a tough team,” Clifford said. "We know what we have to get better at, and, we just talked about this in the locker room, we’re ready to take that next step.
"I think a lot of guys are excited because we know what type of talent we have. We know we’re a top-tier team.
Who plays under center will go a long way toward deciding whether that’s a statement of fact or not come December. The questions about who would win the quarterback battle were set to linger for some time.
Now, the answer may come sooner than expected.