When it comes to the idea of transition it can be hard to agree on when exactly that transition beings. In the case of Penn State football, the beginning of the Drew Allar era – in many respects – began the moment he stepped on campus. It’s why the ongoing discourse about Sean Clifford was often so tiresome, it didn’t matter all that much because what was next was already waiting in the wings.
You could make the argument that the Drew Allar era has already begun, you could make the argument that it will begin the moment Penn State leaves the field after the Rose Bowl. Like most things it’s all subjective.
You could also make the argument that it begins at 1:45 Eastern on Saturday, December 31st. It will mark the first occasion – barring a last minute change – that Allar is available to speak to the media as the member of the Penn State football program. The occasion, Penn State’s full-roster media day at the Rose Bowl, 30 minutes required by all New Year’s Six Bowls that will see Penn State’s entire assembled entourage available to the press. Allar, who has spent his first collegiate season within the friendly confines of Penn State’s football building, will unfold his tall and impressive frame and answer questions through a boyish charm and smile.
It’s in that moment, when the first question is asked and Allar gives his first answer that Penn State will enter into a new era, even with a game still left to go in the old one.
What Allar says will be interesting to note but likely a swarm of platitudes in order to avoid his first foray into media sessions ending with an unexpected headline. Allar’s safety from the microphones isn’t unique to him – Penn State employs a no fly zone for media members as it pertains to true freshman on the roster and has for quite some time. All the same there’s no denying the allure of what Allar means to the program, and what a potentially surface-level introductory media appearance marks as an occasion, even if its contents have the potential for a relatively bland reveal. What Allar says becomes part of the narrative, and shaping that narrative will go a long way towards his first season at the helm of the Nittany Lions’ offense in 2023.
For his part Sean Clifford will be available at the same time, in the same room, a symbolic passing of the torch as Clifford will likely go relatively unbothered as cameras move from Allar to the likes of fellow freshmen Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton and Abdul Carter. Clifford has seen just about it all behind the microphone the past half decade, his responses have shifted over time, the occasional pendulum swing between first year starter enthusiasm to a more guarded and slightly less glowing middle years only to round back into a quarterback – and person – who has made peace with his place in the world. Clifford ending his career as happy as he started it a testament to mental fortitude.
It’s an inspiring thing to see in a lot of ways. Clifford has done hundreds of interviews at this point and comes out the other end of them with a bigger smile than he had going into them. If Clifford can pass anything down to his successor it might simply be the ability to not care so much about what everyone is saying.
If Allar can take that ability from Clifford and run with it, the abilities he already has – that Clifford never will – might result in something Penn State has been longing for.
And it all starts tomorrow under the California sun.
