Pat Devlin Transfers out of Penn State

Yesterday, we learned that backup quarterback Pat Devlin has left the Nittany Lions and will transfer in hopes of more playing time.

Devlin entered the 2008 season as the backup, running behind Daryll Clark in the hotly discussed quarterback conversation at Penn State before the season. While Clark has proven worthy of the starting spot, Devlin saw less playing time.

Devlin's shining moment this season came at Ohio State, when Clark was removed from the game following a head injury. Devlin ran the offense effectively, leading the Nittany Lions to the game winning touchdown, helping to notch Penn State's first win in Columbus since joining the Big Ten.

Surely, Devlin will always have this memory if things do not work out for him down the road.

Early on in the season, Devlin saw a lot more time as Penn State was beating up on the opposition and trying out different schemes as the season unfolded. Games went by and his playing time decreased gradually until Clark was getting every snap.

Devlin is a good quarterback and has talent to make an impact if given the right opportunity. Transferring to a FCS school seems most logical, and likely, as he will get a chance to play in 2009. Transferring to another FBS will force Devlin to sit out a year, and losing a year of eligibility.

Devlin is already off the roster, leaving the Nittany Lions with two quarterbacks for the Rose Bowl, but perhaps more importantly leaving a major hole in the depth chart for seasons in the near future.

Before Devlin's decision there was already some areas of concern that needed to be addressed in recruiting (wide receivers?). Now the coaches can add a quality quarterback to their wish list.

At this point, it is not too late to start looking, but time is critical. Now the recruiting staff will have to explain to some quarterback in high school that Penn State may not have been most interested in them earlier, but they can now promote a nice chance of early playing time if they go to Penn State.

It will be interesting to see how things turn out. A victory over USC in the Rose Bowl would be a very nice recruiting chip.

As for Devlin, I understand that football players want to play, and Devlin deserves a starting spot somewhere. It doesn't seem that was going to happen at Penn State. Therefore I hope that something works out for Devlin, wherever he may end up.