STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WHTM) — The countdown is on as there are just 99 days until Penn State Football kicks off its 2022 season. The Nittany Lions open on the road at Purdue on Sept. 1.
There’s a lot to solidify as the team heads towards the fall, including the backup quarterback situation.
QB Sean Clifford returns for his sixth season in the program, and has been the starter for the past three seasons. The Nittany Lions were 11-2 in his first season as a starter and won the Cotton Bowl. Since then, Penn State has fallen to a 11-11 record over the past two seasons.
Clifford is still the presumed starter headed into the 2022 summer camp period, as head coach James Franklin says it is incredibly difficult to unseat a returning starting quarterback with Clifford’s years of experience.
Plus, this will be the first time in Clifford’s tenure as a starter that the quarterback will be able to work with the same offensive coordinator for two consecutive seasons. OC Mike Yurcich returns to the program for his second season.
Behind Clifford in the backup role is a little less clear. Redshirt freshman Christian Veilleux heads into his second season in the Blue and White. He made significant progress after his first season, in which he started one game against Rutgers, which Penn State did win.
“I just got a lot of stuff that I could take from that game and take it to spring ball, to camp, to summer,” Veilleux said. “I feel like I have a base knowledge of what my game is at this level.”
After Veilleux, a pair of true freshman take centerstage: the highly anticipated Drew Allar and Central York quarterback Beau Pribula. The coaching staff says both of the early enrolled freshman are progressing well as they adjust to college football, but are still a ways behind Veilleux and miles behind Clifford.
Veilleux says he’ll be ready for his shot should the team need him again this season.
“I never want to wish any sickness or injuries on anybody, but it’s the name of the game,” Veilleux said on Wednesday. “It happens. I just got the opportunity, and I made the most of it. I prepared like I would any week, and I capitalized on the opportunity.”
Penn State begins its season on the road against Purdue on Thursday, Sept. 1. The Nittany Lions will have their home opener the following week against Ohio on Saturday, Sept. 10th.