Nice look back at PSU QB's through the years (article)

[GregInPitt]

Trip down memory lane......

PHOTOS: A look at Penn State quarterbacks through the years

Check out this photo collection of Penn State quarterbacks over the years.

nittanylionswire.usatoday.com

 

[rll1957]

I’ve been going there for 45 years and for a large part of that time quarterback was an accessory it any be like that any more. I’m very hopeful that Allar is a leg ahead. Watching him throw this year before games tells me he is. But the absolute venom spewed at cliff here was sickening I think we are poised for good things. But cliff was a very admirable man hete

 

[Wallace Breen]

I’ve been going there for 45 years and for a large part of that time quarterback was an accessory it any be like that any more. I’m very hopeful that Allar is a leg ahead. Watching him throw this year before games tells me he is. But the absolute venom spewed at cliff here was sickening I think we are poised for good things. But cliff was a very admirable man hete

Clifford was handed a bad hand. He produced the top two seasons any PSU QB has produced since Darryl Clark was the man, and not by a little bit. It isn't close. In 2019, Clifford had his best year, against the strongest schedule James Franklin has every played against at the time. 2020 was a cluster because Franklin brought in Captain Kirk and his zone blocking scheme and pure west coast offense. 2021 brought in MY and his spread passing game and spread gap blocking scheme and the hardest schedule Franklin has ever coached against. Three very different offense in three years. Bottom line, if you power ranked our QBs during the Big Ten era, Clifford is near the top (I refuse to rank Mike McQuery).

1. Kerry Collings
2. Darryl Clark
3. Michael Robinson
4. Sean Clifford
5. Casey Richardson
6. Matt McGloin
7. Christian Hackenberg
8. Rashard Casey
9. Trace McSorley
10. Anthony Morelli
11. Zack Mills

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

Clifford was handed a bad hand. He produced the top two seasons any PSU QB has produced since Darryl Clark was the man, and not by a little bit. It isn't close. In 2019, Clifford had his best year, against the strongest schedule James Franklin has every played against at the time. 2020 was a cluster because Franklin brought in Captain Kirk and his zone blocking scheme and pure west coast offense. 2021 brought in MY and his spread passing game and spread gap blocking scheme and the hardest schedule Franklin has ever coached against. Three very different offense in three years. Bottom line, if you power ranked our QBs during the Big Ten era, Clifford is near the top (I refuse to rank Mike McQuery).

1. Kerry Collings
2. Darryl Clark
3. Michael Robinson
4. Sean Clifford
5. Casey Richardson
6. Matt McGloin
7. Christian Hackenberg
8. Rashard Casey
9. Trace McSorley
10. Anthony Morelli
11. Zack Mills

Lol delete this bs. Trace # 9 and Clifford #4? #5 Do you mean Wally Richardson? Morelli over Mills? Are you joking or a troll? Hackenberg over Trace is even funnier. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[psuno1]

Last AA at Qb still Collins hopefully Allar can change that.

 

[Wallace Breen]

Lol delete this bs. Trace # 9 and Clifford #4? #5 Do you mean Wally Richardson? Morelli over Mills? Are you joking or a troll? Hackenberg over Trace is even funnier. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Yes, Trace at #9. We all saw what happened to the offense in 2018 after the talent that drove success in 16 and 17 left the program. Of the three run first quarterbacks we started, he is clearly the third behind MRod and Casey. OF the three pass first dual threats we have started, Mills is clearly the third behind Clark and Clifford. And I don't hold Franklin's incompetence against Hackenberg. He proved that he had the highest ceiling in the group in 2013 and carried the offense for two years despite playing in an incoherent system with the worst offensive coaching in America. The only ratings I think maybe overly harsh are Mills and Casey.

 

[ryoder1]

What I want to know is why no mention of Tom Bill, Lance Lonegran, Matt Senecca, Dayle Tayte, Frank Rocco, Matt Knizner, John Andress, Doug Strang, Rob Bolden? There are others as well! C'mon!!

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

What I want to know is why no mention of Tom Bill, Lance Lonegran, Matt Senecca, Dayle Tayte, Frank Rocco, Matt Knizner, John Andress, Doug Strang, Rob Bolden? There are others as well! C'mon!!

Kevin Thompson?

 

[OaktonDave]

What I want to know is why no mention of Tom Bill, Lance Lonegran, Matt Senecca, Dayle Tayte, Frank Rocco, Matt Knizner, John Andress, Doug Strang, Rob Bolden? There are others as well! C'mon!!

You missed the legendary Pat Devlin. Who drafted him in the first round? I can't remember.

 

[john4psu]

The Sean Clifford experience was a long one but it was one where it finally paid off with an impressive Rose Bowl win in January.

So the Cotton Bowl win was garbage? Finally paid off get the f××k out of here.

 

[ryoder1]

You missed the legendary Pat Devlin. Who drafted him in the first round? I can't remember.

He scored on a 1 yd sneak to get us past O$U in Columbus in 2008 for our first win there since 1978. He's a PSU legend!

 

[Still in State College]

Mills is the one I don't get. He was bad but because he had the 324 OSU win he is considered on of the best PSU QB's. He started 4-years and three were losing seasons. There were other issues with those teams but it was immediately elevated the following year.

I don't know how to rate the QB's but I will say that McSorley and Clifford were gamers.

 

[OzLion]

IMHO, QBs who did something that really mattered in PSU history since 1978 or so (in chronological order)

1) Chuck Fusina --> Was instrumental in getting PSU football it's first shot at a national championship, and was really the first to open up a passing game at PSU that I can remember.

2) Todd Blackledge --> Of course, first National Championship, great college QB, got PSU over the top even when that '82 team did not have a dominant defense

3) Kerry Collins --> Teams first Big10 Title and should-have-been-share-of national championship. Turned out to have the longest NFL career of any PSU QB that I can recall.

4) Michael Robinson --> Led Team to Big10 title and with arm, legs and heart. Was especially important because team had been in doldrums in years prior.

5) Daryll Clark --> Also a Big10 Champion, was a great team leader who also had talent. One win, maybe one concussion, away from a national championship chance.

6) Trace McSorely --> Gotta give it to him for getting PSU a Big10 title when the team seamed dead to rights early in the season, and was coming off sanctions too. Despite the talent around him, nooone can say he didn't contribute.

7) Sean Clifford (TBD?) --> Won two major bowls, including this past Rose bowl, with PSU. I think his 'legacy' will depend in part on how the team does going forward, rightly or wrongly. IF PSU wins the Big10 in the next year or 2, allot of us will see Clifford's gutty groundwork as part of that process.



Honorable Mentions

I can't bring myself to include John Shaffer even though he won a National Championship (and almost two) because I think the team could have done it without him. I on the other hand would love to include Zach Mills for a variety of reasons but he just didn't have enough success.

 

[jimarnp]

You missed the legendary Pat Devlin. Who drafted him in the first round? I can't remember.

Why are you disparaging this kid? I love Clark, and he was a great Lion, but he didn’t sniff the NFL. —The other kid knew he had some talent, transferred, and ultimately drew an NFL paycheck ( mostly practice squad) for the better part of 3 years.
—seems his talent was substantiated , just not in State College. — In the era of yearly portal transfers, it’s probably best to put this to rest.

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

He scored on a 1 yd sneak to get us past O$U in Columbus in 2008 for our first win there since 1978. He's a PSU legend!

I was there in '08

 

[OaktonDave]

Why are you disparaging this kid? I love Clark, and he was a great Lion, but he didn’t sniff the NFL. —The other kid knew he had some talent, transferred, and ultimately drew an NFL paycheck ( mostly practice squad) for the better part of 3 years.
—seems his talent was substantiated , just not in State College. — In the era of yearly portal transfers, it’s probably best to put this to rest.

I'm not disparaging the kid or any other PSU back-up for that matter. I'm tossing at a dig at a segment of the PSU population that swore Devlin was a 1st round talent (while attacking Clark and anyone with the last name "Paterno") when he was actually a UFA talent. His NFL career passing stats match Clark's. That is, neither of them accumulated any. Yes, Devlin, hung with a couple of NFL teams struggling to find QBs as a #3 while Clark was in a camp or two without sticking. At PSU, Devlin got beat out by Clark for a variety of reasons, none of which included Joe and Jay being evil and incapable of recognizing Devlin's awesome talent as many alleged.

I don't have anything against Devlin, and it didn't bother me that he transferred. He made the choice he thought was right for him; he wanted to start sooner than he was going to be able to at PSU. With Joe Flacco as a precedent, UD seemed like a good path to that and the NFL. It had no impact on PSU in the short or long term. I don't think he had the NFL career he was expecting, but I certainly hope he's living happily on whatever path he chose after his playing career.

 

[john4psu]

IMHO, QBs who did something that really mattered in PSU history since 1978 or so (in chronological order)

1) Chuck Fusina --> Was instrumental in getting PSU football it's first shot at a national championship, and was really the first to open up a passing game at PSU that I can remember.

2) Todd Blackledge --> Of course, first National Championship, great college QB, got PSU over the top even when that '82 team did not have a dominant defense

3) Kerry Collins --> Teams first Big10 Title and should-have-been-share-of national championship. Turned out to have the longest NFL career of any PSU QB that I can recall.

4) Michael Robinson --> Led Team to Big10 title and with arm, legs and heart. Was especially important because team had been in doldrums in years prior.

5) Daryll Clark --> Also a Big10 Champion, was a great team leader who also had talent. One win, maybe one concussion, away from a national championship chance.

6) Trace McSorely --> Gotta give it to him for getting PSU a Big10 title when the team seamed dead to rights early in the season, and was coming off sanctions too. Despite the talent around him, nooone can say he didn't contribute.

7) Sean Clifford (TBD?) --> Won two major bowls, including this past Rose bowl, with PSU. I think his 'legacy' will depend in part on how the team does going forward, rightly or wrongly. IF PSU wins the Big10 in the next year or 2, allot of us will see Clifford's gutty groundwork as part of that process.



Honorable Mentions

I can't bring myself to include John Shaffer even though he won a National Championship (and almost two) because I think the team could have done it without him. I on the other hand would love to include Zach Mills for a variety of reasons but he just didn't have enough success.

Penn State won national championships in 1911 and 1912.