If Tommy Stevens can’t buy into Penn State now, he should go after entering transfer portal

None of us knew if Tommy Stevens was the answer for Penn State.

The best replacement for record-setting Trace McSorley … the most productive QB to drive the best talent yet under coach James Franklin … the most effective team leader?

We figured he could be those things. Stevens drilled at quarterback for four years and got intriguing field experience as a runner, receiver and passer. He showed flashes when he did get a chance. 

That's all you can do in his spot — same for successful first-time starting senior quarterbacks Mike McQueary (1997) and Michael Robinson (2005).

But Stevens doesn't want to wait any longer, it seems. He must not feel assured that he can beat out redshirt sophomore Sean Clifford. Or he must have a potential rift with his coaches that cannot be repaired.

Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens looks to throw a pass during a warmup prior to the team's Blue White spring game. (Photo: Matthew OHaren, USA TODAY Sports)

Why else would he enter his name in the NCAA transfer portal in April — just after he missed so much of spring practice while recovering from surgery?

This move came to light Wednesday, in the middle of Franklin's famed one-on-one interviews with each member of the team.

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Here's the deal: If Stevens cannot buy into proving himself heading into the summer, he should go. If he cannot fully buy into his coaches now, as a senior leader, he should go.

If he demands to be named the starter without a true competition in summer camp, he probably must go.

There definitely appears to be a significant disconnect between the Stevens' camp and Franklin and his staff, which is unfortunate after four years. 

Stevens should look out for himself as a fifth-year senior who has earned his undergraduate degree. Penn State fans just hoped that his thinking meshed with their team. 

His transfer possibility, though, should not be surprising.

He considered leaving Penn State before his redshirt junior season. He decided to stay and seem convinced in that approach. 

Last summer he said this: "When it came down to it, the only bad thing about this place was that I'm not the starting quarterback.

"And that's going to change …"

But then an undisclosed lower leg injury didn't heal and Stevens missed the first four games of last season and played sparingly after that. Later, Franklin admitted several times that Stevens played whatever snaps he could in 2018 in significant pain.

He underwent a second surgery in December and missed the bowl game. 

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Sean Clifford impressed during his small snippets of playing time. He showed off an extremely accurate downfield arm, hitting on his first five college passes. 

His first incompletion came in the Citrus Bowl when DeAndre Thompkins dropped a perfectly placed over-the-shoulder pass.

There were rumblings that Clifford would give Stevens a run at the starting spot this year — much like Stevens reportedly did against McSorley in 2016.

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford during the team's Blue White spring game. (Photo: Matthew OHaren, USA TODAY Sports)

Of course, none of us knew if Clifford was the answer Penn State needs either.

No one still does.

But now that Stevens is in the transfer portal, he may be in contact with other schools and leave at any time — without interference from Penn State. He presumably wants to guaranteed a starting spot for his last season.

It seems unlikely that a senior quarterback who enters the portal at this point would pull himself out and stay with the Nittany Lions. 

What we did know about Stevens is that he provided maturity, experience and insurance at a position that needs all of those things dearly.

Penn State owned a pretty deep quarterback room until this news.

Now, this may end up being more like 2016, with the battle coming down to a redshirt sophomore (Clifford) and a redshirt freshman (Will Levis).  

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