10 days before Sean Clifford begins his sixth season at Penn State, it came out that he’s made it to his fifth preseason award watch list.
Clifford is one of 30 quarterbacks nominated for the Manning Award, an honor presented to the nation’s top quarterback by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. He’s also up for the O’Brien Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Wuerffel Trophy.
Clifford is getting ready to begin his fourth season as Penn State’s No. 1 quarterback.
Assuming nothing unforeseen happens between now and Penn State’s season opener at Purdue Thursday, Sept. 1, Clifford will get his 34th career star and appear in his 39th college game.
Clifford is one of three Penn State players to pick up more than 8,000 yards of total offense and is one of three quarterbacks— after his predecessor, Trace McSorley, McSorley’s predecessor, Christian Hackenberg and Zach Mills— to pass for more than 7,000 career yards.
Clifford enters the 2022 season a little more than 2,000 passing yards away from breaking McSorley’s school record and 16 touchdown passes away from breaking his predecessor’s record for career passing touchdowns.
No Penn State quarterback has won the Manning Award since it’s first presentation after the 2004 regular season. Alabama’s Bryce Young won it last year, and he heads this year’s watchlist.
