How Christian Veilleux can be next in line at quarterback for Penn State football
By the time Nov. 20 rolled around, it had been more than two years since Christian Veilleux played in a competitive football game. Veilleux, who last played in 2019 as a high school junior, could feel the gravity of the moment.
“It was a little crazy,” Veilleux said Wednesday. “I was nervous at first. Then once the nerves left, I remember being back there and being like, it’s back to high school days. I’m just playing high school ball. ... It took about a drive to get the shock out. Then after that I felt like I was back. It really didn’t feel like it was two years from when I (last played).”
Soon enough, the nerves faded and Veilleux was back in his element.
He would go on to complete 15 of his 24 pass attempts for 235 yards and three touchdowns on his way to leading Penn State football to a 28-0 victory over Rutgers.
That game, this spring and soon this fall could be the first glimpse into the Nittany Lions’ offensive future — one led by Veilleux and a young crop of offensive weapons.
The redshirt freshman quarterback has been a forgotten player of sorts since the season ended.
In front of him on the depth chart is Sean Clifford — a redshirt senior who is entering his sixth year with the program and his fourth as a starter. Behind him is Drew Allar — a former five-star recruit who finished the cycle as the No. 1 quarterback in the country according to some rankings.
Veilleux is stuck between them, a bridge between the present and the future that is often overlooked by some who would like to connect the end of the Clifford era to the beginning of the Allar era.
Allar isn’t the only signal caller that came in this spring, either. He was joined in the 2022 class by four-star Beau Pribula. Despite both young QBs nipping at his heels on the depth charts, Veilleux said that’s part of the game.
“I think you just know every single year they’re gonna bring guys in,” he said. “Whether it’s one or two, I don’t think it makes a difference. I think at the end of the day we add value to our room. ... It’s definitely good to have those guys.”
While that is the norm, it doesn’t necessarily mean older players like Veilleux have to get lost in the shuffle. While he’s been glossed over at times in discussions about the position at Penn State, it’s the redshirt freshman who is likely to take over if Clifford misses any time.
On top of that, he’s likely the most well-positioned of the young signal callers to take over when Clifford exhausts his eligibility at the end of the 2022 season.
Part of the task for Clifford’s successor will be commanding the room and the team like the veteran can. While Veilleux showed some hesitancy early, he’s already taken on a leadership role among his classmates. He’s showing the willingness to learn and doing the work off the field to prepare for the work on the field.
“Me and CV, we get a lot of time outside of practice watching film, throwing,” classmate and wide receiver Tre Wallace said. “We’re both young freshmen trying to play. He learns a lot from Sean. ... Christian, he’s a fast learner, he has an arm, he’s an all-around great guy.”
The leadership component can be crucial for quarterbacks, but still not as crucial as on the field ability. Veilleux has plenty of that, with the arm strength to make every throw he needs to and now the developing poise to play under pressure — whether it’s at Beaver Stadium or in a bowl game like the one he played in January in relief of Clifford.
He must continue that development as he rounds off the edges of his game and prepares to take over in the post-Clifford era. That’s over a year away but Veilleux has already pinpointed areas for development.
“Between now and August, I want to improve the most on my accuracy and throwing on the run,” he said. “I think those are two things I can really work on. Obviously all of the pre-snap elements, I always want to hammer that and become a pro at that. Because once you can beat a team pre-snap, they have no chance.”
Those improvements will come with added time and, barring a surprise, Veilleux will enter next spring as the only quarterback on the roster with game experience.
Those components give him the edge to be the successor, but do not guarantee it. He will be tasked with fending off the talented freshmen behind him. That is no simple task, but it is manageable.
Veilleux, at times a forgotten man, has put himself in position to take over the reins and lead his team onto the field and into the next era of Penn State football.
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 9:39 AM.
