All eyes were on quarterback Sean Clifford on Friday night.
It was Penn State’s first home football camp of the summer, ending a day that began with a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call in Norfolk, Va., for coach James Franklin & Co.
And Clifford was first among 300-plus not-so-equal high school football players.
Under the setting sun and before scores of parents and hangers-on, Clifford and the others were showing off their skills at the Lasch practice and the PSU lacrosse fields for Franklin, his assistants and a host of coaches from across the spectrum of college football.
Clifford, at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, wasn’t the largest Penn State verbal commitment on hand. That honor would be split among the 600 pounds and 152 inches that are Nittany Lion O-line commits Mike Miranda (2017) and Chris Bleich (2018).
But Clifford was the biggest. And the highest-profile.
You know the old adage about the back-up quarterback being the most popular guy on the team? Not true Friday night. The most popular guy was the big-time high school QB who’s committed to your team, but is not there yet. Exhibit A: Christian Hackenberg. Exhibit B: Sean Clifford.
This is not to say that Clifford is Hack Jr. He’s not. He threw for only 1,178 yards and ran for 137 more and four TDs as a junior last season for renowned St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati last season. But this is true, too: The Under Armour All-American will be attending the Elite 11 camp in Oregon next month at Nike headquarters (a la Hackenberg). He also possesses a Hack-like strong upper- and mid-body.
And like The Kid From Fork Union did in all kinds of situations before him, Clifford created a good amount of buzz on Friday night.
Clifford was the first verbal commitment in Franklin’s Class of 2017, having promised on July 13, 2015, that he would sign with Penn State on Feb. 1, 2017 (a nice gift, indeed, for CJF’s 45th birthday the next day), and therefore be there when the second summer session of Penn State’s University Park classes start on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
That’s over 53 weeks, football seasons at both Penn State and St. Xavier, and at least one new Penn State starting quarterback from now.
PENN STATE PIED PIPER
If Friday night is any indication, Clifford and a host of other constituencies can’t wait, as the high school QB drew the Lions’ share of the attention. From Franklin, from offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, from presumptive Nittany Lion starter Trace McSorley and from the octet of Penn State beat reporters on hand.
Where Clifford went, others followed.
Franklin joked around with him, while giving Clifford pointers on foot placement, passing the football and proper follow-through.
Moorhead ran a passel of high school quarterbacks in attendance through passing drills. But the Lions’ new O-coordinator and QB coach did take time to single out Clifford and run him through some foot-quickening exercises as well.
“Feet,” Moorhead would shout, and Clifford took 1-2-3 quick, choppy steps front, followed by 1-2-3 quick, choppy steps back. Chop and repeat…until Moorhead shouted, “Ball,” at which point Clifford would unleash a pass.
A number of times the toss went to McSorley, who was one of several current Nittany Lions – e.g., Hamilton, Godwin, Cabinda, Scott – on hand as paid counselors and teaching assistants. Clad in blue T-shirt and shorts, with a white ball cap, McSorley repeated the chopped drill and offered Clifford a few pointers as well.
By the time Clifford hits campus, McSorley will have the potentially career-defining 2016 season under his belt, and will be a senior with junior eligibility. Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens will be a junior with sophomore eligibility. And assuming Jake Zembiec redshirts as a freshman this fall, he will be a sophomore with freshman eligibility.
A lot can and will happen between now and then. (Even a decommit, God and James forbid.) For now, though, Clifford is more than anxious to be a Nittany Lion. Currently a pro style QB, he said this spring that he’s looking forward to playing in Moorhead’s new spread, up-tempo offense.
“If you watched the spring game, you learned that the new quarterback for Penn State is someone who is athletic, can run around, read-option, all that kind of stuff,” Clifford told Cleveland.com. “That’s the new coach Franklin quarterback.”
Throughout Friday evening, Clifford was usually not far from another quarterback. A mini-Sean, of sorts. During most drills, he was accompanied by his brother and throwing partner Liam, a fellow quarterback – and at 150 pounds, with a strong arm and two 4.8 40’s on Friday night to his credit – a very promising one at that. Especially considering he’s only entering eighth grade.
Also nearby was their dad, John, a former offensive lineman and pitcher at the University of Dubuque in Iowa. A careful and inconspicuously quiet yet large presence – John is built more like the pop of a Bleich or a Miranda – John was decked out in a Penn State blue shirt. It was Father’s Day weekend, and he clearly enjoyed watching his sons work out together.
EATING IT UP
Equally clearly, though, the star of the night was Sean. The writers and Tweeters and photographers focused on the elder Clifford son, shooting and posting video on pay and PennLive sites alike.
And, for right now, there seems a lot to like. With Clifford, it’s a mutual admiration society.
The first verbal of the Class of 2017, he’s spending a lot of his time recruiting possible Penn State teammates. He’s eating it up, in fact, as is Franklin. Literally.
On Saturday afternoon, Clifford and Franklin and Miranda and top-flight recruit Matt Dotson and Penn State assistant Josh Gattis and Sean’s dad and brother and a few others went to a local restaurant – Local Whiskey, above The Phyrst on Beaver Ave.– for lunch.
Clifford (@seancliff13) Tweeted out a picture of lunch and labeled it “Future Fam #WeAre,” receiving nearly 300 likes and retweets. And counting.
All of it evidence that in addition to the quarterback himself, there are a lot of people all atwitter over Sean Clifford coming to Penn State.
