No Decision Yet at Quarterback, Penn State Coach James Franklin Says

James Franklin says Will Levis has earned a shot at Penn State's starting quarterback job.

Penn State has not made a decision at starting quarterback between Sean Clifford and Will Levis, coach James Franklin said Tuesday, leaving the competition to continue this week.

Clifford remained atop Penn State's latest depth chart released Monday, though that primarily reflects the previous game's starters. Levis replaced Clifford in the second quarter of last week's 30-23 loss to Nebraska, guiding the Lions to a near-comeback from a 24-3 deficit.

Penn State outscored Nebraska 17-3 in the second half, with chances to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

On Tuesday, Franklin said that Levis had "earned" an opportunity to challenge for the starting role.

"We have not made that decision or announced that decision yet," Franklin said at his weekly press conference. "Obviously we had some conversations about it this week, with not only the coaching staff but also with Sean and with Will based on what we're going to do in practice this week. We'll evaluate that as the week goes on."

Penn State practiced Sunday, had off Monday and returns to practice Tuesday. The Lions are scheduled to host Iowa on Saturday.

Franklin said Levis showcased a strong arm and his physical running ability against Nebraska. The coach added the Levis needs to take some of the "octane" off his throws.

"He played hard, he played with passion and did some things," Franklin said.

Levis, a redshirt sophomore, has made one career start, against Rutgers in 2019. He rushed for 108 yards and completed 8 of 14 passes for 81 yards in Penn State's 27-6 victory.

Clifford, a team captain, has started the last 16 games for Penn State. He has a 59.2-percent completion rate this season with a touchdown/interception ratio of 9:6. Clifford has eight turnovers on the season, including two against Nebraska that led to the change.

Penn State's latest depth chart also reflects changes on the offensive line that the team made against Nebraska. Caeden Wallace is listed as the starting right tackle, and former tackle Will Fries is at right guard. Wallace and Fries started in those spots against the Cornhuskers.

Penn State is 0-4 for the first time since 2001 and has never started a season with five consecutive losses.

The Penn State-Iowa kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.