Ok, hear me out, I don’t want to make any crazy analysis with stats, rankings, SOS,recruiting rankings but just a general observation about the trajectory of the Clemson program and why I think PSU is on a similar path.
Dabo took over as an interim head coach in 2008 and then full time in 2009. In his first 6 years he built the Clemson program up quickly to being a solid top 10/15 program. Really solid teams, great recruiting and really talented. Nothing earth shattering but really solid.
James Franklin you can make an argument was even better at Penn State his first 6 years. PSU knocking on that playoff door a couple times. Also really talented players, solid recruiting and exciting times. Either way in their first 6 years we are looking at really good football teams but definitely not national championship contenders.
2014 recruiting cycle ended that. The missing piece of the puzzle in top 50 National player and top rated dual threat QB heading to Clemson. Watson was a great player and 2014 was good, 2015 they went to the game in Dabo’s 8th year and in 2016 they won it in year 9. The star QB was the missing piece. They followed Watson up with Lawrence who was #1 across the board and they continued playing at that level. Fast forward to now and Watson and Lawrence are gone, Clemson with an Uber talented roster can’t score points and is struggling
2022 will be Franklin’s 9th season at PSU. I am not ready to throw the towel in quite yet on 2021 if Clifford can come back healthy but Drew Allar comes into State College in January 2022. A top 12 player in the nation, top rated pro style QB, and our own 5 star stud. He is bringing a lot of talent in with him, the 2022 class is ranked toward the top and a lot of these studs are rolling in early. It is too early to tell but PSU hasn’t recruited a QB like this in recent memory.
If Allar does turn out to be that guy and he and the team follow the trend 2022 will show huge promise and 2023 and 2024 could be really really fun times in happy valley. PSU has been really good the last 8 years with a little blip in a goofy 2020, maybe the QB like Allar is what we have been missing to carry is to the top, just like Clemson before Watson and Lawrence.
Dabo took over as an interim head coach in 2008 and then full time in 2009. In his first 6 years he built the Clemson program up quickly to being a solid top 10/15 program. Really solid teams, great recruiting and really talented. Nothing earth shattering but really solid.
James Franklin you can make an argument was even better at Penn State his first 6 years. PSU knocking on that playoff door a couple times. Also really talented players, solid recruiting and exciting times. Either way in their first 6 years we are looking at really good football teams but definitely not national championship contenders.
2014 recruiting cycle ended that. The missing piece of the puzzle in top 50 National player and top rated dual threat QB heading to Clemson. Watson was a great player and 2014 was good, 2015 they went to the game in Dabo’s 8th year and in 2016 they won it in year 9. The star QB was the missing piece. They followed Watson up with Lawrence who was #1 across the board and they continued playing at that level. Fast forward to now and Watson and Lawrence are gone, Clemson with an Uber talented roster can’t score points and is struggling
2022 will be Franklin’s 9th season at PSU. I am not ready to throw the towel in quite yet on 2021 if Clifford can come back healthy but Drew Allar comes into State College in January 2022. A top 12 player in the nation, top rated pro style QB, and our own 5 star stud. He is bringing a lot of talent in with him, the 2022 class is ranked toward the top and a lot of these studs are rolling in early. It is too early to tell but PSU hasn’t recruited a QB like this in recent memory.
If Allar does turn out to be that guy and he and the team follow the trend 2022 will show huge promise and 2023 and 2024 could be really really fun times in happy valley. PSU has been really good the last 8 years with a little blip in a goofy 2020, maybe the QB like Allar is what we have been missing to carry is to the top, just like Clemson before Watson and Lawrence.