Penn State will look to redshirt sophomore Ta’Quan Roberson this season at the No. 2 quarterback spot, coach James Franklin announced on Tuesday.
“There really hasn’t been a whole lot of conversation,” Franklin said. “I sit in the quarterback meetings every single day and [Sean Clifford] is taking 90% of the reps with the ones and Ta’Quan is taking 90% of the reps with the twos and Christian[Veilleux] is taking 90% of the reps with the three. So everybody clearly understood understands where they’re at and where they stand.”
Roberson could potentially be an important part of Penn State’s offense in 2021 if trends hold true, each of the last three seasons the Nittany Lions’ backup quarterback has seen the field for meaningful snaps. The challenge of course is that unlike his predecessors Tommy Stevens and now Kentucky starting quarterback Will Levis, Roberson has thrown just a single pass in his collegiate career.
But uncertainty about how Roberson would play on the field doesn’t mean the sophomore hasn’t earned his place in a thin quarterback room.
“He’s done some really nice things,”Franklin added. ” He’s thrown for a high percentage. For a while there his attempts without an interception was ridiculously high. He had thrown a bunch of balls without turning the ball over. The ball jumps off his hand. When he’s confident pre snap with what to do. Just getting him consistently really confident pre snap with what we’re trying to do and why and how. I think he’s opened a lot of eyes this camp and we’d love to get some reps where we can in games.”
The challenge for Franklin and new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich now becomes getting Roberson and third-year starter Sean Clifford prepared for Saturday’s season-opening clash against Wisconsin. The Badgers will host Penn State in Madison for the first time since 2013.
The Nittany Lions are 2-0 under James Franklin against Wisconsin having last faced each other in 2018.
“Each quarterback is a little bit different,” Yurcich said earlier this summer. “But just because the guy doesn’t have playing time doesn’t mean that you really modify your teaching based on player experience. You try to give him all the information he needs to be successful. I think you have to really coach them hard. You have to coach them hard and put stress on them in the meeting room because they never have had to play in front of 107,000. So you want to apply pressure. At the same time, you have to build confidence, and I think that’s a fine line of knowing when to apply that pressure; make them sweat but then also build them up and give them confidence.”
