Penn State offense has opportunity for improvement: James Franklin
From 2021 to 2022, the improvements made by Penn State’s offense were undeniable. The Nittany Lions finished with vastly superior yardage and scoring numbers as a result of their considerably more balanced attack.
The results in the wins and losses columns were equally undeniable. Trading a 7-6 campaign derailed by injury for a season marred only by losses to two eventual College Football Playoff participants, the Nittany Lions made their way back to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2016.
Joining On3’s J.D. PicKell on The Hard Count last week, Franklin put forth the reality of Penn State’s situation moving forward. For an offense that had made massive strides in nearly every significant category, the opportunity to improve further exists.
“I think number one, we got a chance to be better on the O-line, we got a chance to be better at running back, we got a chance to be better at tight end,” Franklin said. “We have a question mark at wide receiver. I saw some things this spring to get excited about, but not ready to stamp them yet.”
But, Franklin continued, Penn State’s next steps offensively will be dictated by the play of the quarterback position next season.
Next steps
Making the transition from a heady, veteran quarterback in Sean Clifford who warranted a mid-round NFL Draft selection by the Green Bay Packers, to the unknown of a tantalizing young quarterback in Drew Allar, Penn State has big questions to answer moving forward.
“We had a veteran quarterback that seemed like he played here forever, is now with the Green Bay Packers, in Sean Clifford. And we got a competition for the quarterback spot,” Franklin said. “Drew Allar was a young man that there’s a lot of excitement about. Coming out of high school, he was the number one quarterback recruit in the country. He was our backup quarterback last year and unusually he was able to play in almost every single game. So that was a real positive that we were able to get him a ton of reps and experience last year.”
Specifically, that took shape as 10 games played for Allar. He completed 35 of 60 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns in his first Penn State season. And, critically, those appearances included home and away, important relief, and extended garbage time opportunities.
Determined to use the ensuing days, weeks, and months to refine and maximize Allar’s potential ahead of the 2023 season, Franklin acknowledged the stirring traits that the sophomore quarterback brings to the table.
“That’s a big question mark going into our season replacing a vet. There’s a lot of excitement about Drew and his potential,” Franklin said. “He’s kind of more of the old-school traditional, NFL quarterback. He’s 6-foot-5, he’s 242 pounds, and he can make, if not every throw on the field, almost all of them. But he has a little bit more mobility than people may think. So, there’s a lot of excitement about him.”
