Penn State QB Sean Clifford adds a new job title: Team Leader

Sean Clifford joked with reporters after practice Wednesday about the age difference between himself and the rest of the quarterback room, laughing when mentioning he can’t keep up with the younger players’ methods of communication.

The 23-year-old quarterback and Cincinnati native will be heading into his sixth year with the program, and one word was brought up, not only by him, but by his teammates and coaches when talking about him.

“Just continue the leadership,” said Clifford, in his sixth year at Penn State. “It’s my job to be that leader but also connect with [the younger players.]”

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From a somewhat-outside perspective, redshirt junior tight end Brenton Strange has seen Clifford take that leadership role in the quarterback room and do a “great job” being a leader to the incoming quarterbacks.

One of Clifford’s favorite targets last year, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, said Clifford’s role as a leader is only growing.

“He’s always been a leader from Day 1, since I got here,” Lambert-Smith said Tuesday. “I’ve definitely seen the leadership increasing more and more each year.”

This will be the first time as a starter that Clifford has had the same offensive coordinator from the year before. That consistency is helpful, according to coach James Franklin, who said he and Clifford talked Wednesday about how having Mike Yurcich back for a second season will assist in the quarterbacks’ being “comfortable,” with Clifford noting that it “opens up the playbook” for him.

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Players have been granted another season because of past disruptions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Clifford’s return wasn’t certain before his announcement in December, and he is impressed by how a lot of those who are new to the program are good with his reads at the line of scrimmage, among other things.

“Sean’s in a really good spot right now,” Franklin said. “He’s also been really helpful with the two young quarterbacks. He’s got a really good football IQ, plus he works at it. It’s really important to him.”