Will Penn State losses lead to a change at quarterback? Here’s what James Franklin said
James Franklin spent the early portion of his weekly Tuesday press conference reiterating the issues that caused his team’s demise Saturday against Ohio State. Chief among them was the team’s four turnovers.
All four of those turnovers — three interceptions and one fumble — were committed by redshirt senior Sean Clifford. That’s led to questions about if he will keep his starting quarterback job the rest of the season, with freshman quarterback Drew Allar looming as the backup.
Franklin did not commit one way or the other, but emphasized what the priority will be when making the decision.
“We’re going to look at who gives us the best chance to be 1-0 this week and go from there,” Franklin said. “And whoever that is based on this week’s practice and preparation, we’ll go with. That’s really kind of how it’s been all year long.”
His lack of commitment one way or the other is notable, given in the past he has said Clifford has earned the right to be the team’s starting quarterback.
That would lead one to believe that starting Allar is at the very least an option. Franklin said making that type of move from a senior to a freshman is something he’s discussed with many people within the program.
“It’s not a decision that I make on my own,” Franklin said. “When there is big decisions like that I want to make sure that I’m not too close to it. So had a pretty good conversation with Mike Yurcich obviously. Talked to Manny Diaz about it. Talked to (Ken Whisenhunt) about it. Talked Danny O’Brien. So I talked to the guys that had either been a college or NFL head coach before. Talked to a guy that played the position as well and got everybody’s thoughts. We’ll continue to evaluate it like we always do.”
The power dynamics at play can also be a factor when making the decision to shift from the old guard to the new. Clifford is not just a sixth-year player and a fourth-year starter. He’s also a four-time captain.
That type of leadership position allows Franklin to have a greater relationship with him because he meets with the team’s captain more than he meets with the general populace on the roster.
With that said, Franklin said his captaincy won’t play a role in whether or not he remains the team’s starting quarterback moving forward.
“I’ve noticed this year, and I actually even think this week, I’ve noticed this year a ton of it,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s the COVID six-year deal or what, but I noticed a ton of guys that were voted captain in pre-season, you know, that aren’t starting anymore across the league or opponents that we’ve played. So that really hasn’t factored into any of the discussions we have had. Sean has earned that through the players’ vote and how he’s conducted himself all off-season; so have the rest of the captains.”
Preparing for future
Part of the clamoring for Allar is the desire for some to turn the page toward the future now that Penn State has two losses and is no longer a player in the Big Ten title picture.
Playing Allar would allow him to gain reps and experience in preparation for the inevitably of him starting at quarterback next season — and likely for as long as he’s a Nittany Lion.
Despite those calls, Franklin said he owes it to everyone in the program to prioritize the present when it comes to wins and losses.
“I think I have a responsibility to the guys in the locker room as well as the coaches to give us the best chance to win as many games as we possibly can,” he said. “...For me, I think you guys know, we’ve said it enough, but ultimately I got to do what’s best for Penn State to be 1-0 this weekend. Again, when I say that, that’s not me making this decision on my own. It’s making sure I’ve talked to enough people, and not just at the quarterback position, but every position. That nobody is making decisions in a silo by themselves. No one is determining the defensive end or defensive tackle reps on their own. It’s a discussion with the defensive staff and then myself as well.”
Franklin’s desire to win this season is part of what he has to balance as the leader of the program. The head coach is in charge of doing what he has to in order for the team to win now and in the future.
The latter part is something he is cognizant of and trying to balance with his program.
“And what you would like to do at the same time is getting better and building for your future,” Franklin said. “I hope that you can do those two things together. I don’t think they’re exclusive of one another. Obviously there is going to be a lot of factors that play into that that will allow you to maybe prepare for the future a little bit more, but I just think there is a balance between the two. I think there is a balance between the two.”
Developing a cornerstone offensive tackle
One of the best development stories for the Penn State offense this season is that of Olu Fashanu at left tackle. The redshirt sophomore is in his first season as a starter and has established himself as a potential first round pick when he enters the NFL Draft. The 19-year-old has taken massive strides this season and Franklin credits his intelligence and consistency for the growth he’s had this season.
“Almost all the guys in that locker room have shown the ability to flash from time to time and do some really special things,” Franklin said. “I think that’s what separates Olu. He’s just so consistent with his approach, with his habits, with his maturity, with his drive towards being elite really in everything that he does. You know, he’s got a chance to be an academic all-American. He has a chance to be the academic Heisman winner.”
His development may actually hinder his ability to impact how much he can impact the program in the future in a negative way — because he’s already so good he can easily justify entering the 2023 NFL Draft and calling it a college career after this season. Fashanu’s intangibles have allowed him to grow, but it helps that he checks every box from an offensive tackle perspective.
Franklin said his development is something the team has looked at in order to help other linemen out, but sometimes players don’t check enough boxes to reach the level Fashanu has.
“Yeah, I think what we always do, whether it’s through recruiting or development with guys that we got or guys that have gone somewhere else, you’re always kind of going back and studying best practice and what you did well and what you can do better,” Franklin said. “I think Olu is an example of what we’ve talked about in the past. When you’ve recruited Olu and you kind of have your — let’s say you got a list of 25 characteristics with Olu — he checked most of the boxes.
“What I have found over my time, whether NFL or college, guys that have a lot of boxes checked, they usually do well. I think Trace McSorley is a good example of that. He may have not been 6’3”, but he checked pretty much every other box. I think through recruiting, whether it’s in college or the NFL, guys that just have a lot of high-level traits, like Olu, your hit rate is going to be a lot higher, rather than some guys that may have one really elite trait but lacking in some others. And it’s easy to get caught up in that one elite trait. Really fast or really big, really strong arm, whatever it may be, that you tend to rationalize or overlook the other things.”
Quick Hitters
- Fashanu left the Ohio State game late and limped into the tunnel. Franklin said the team will see how this week goes for him.
RB Keyvone Lee has been hurt, according to Franklin. Said he’s been out or limited for five weeks. Team is hopeful to have him back.
