Quarterback Christian Veilleux is looking to transfer from Penn State with Drew Allar poised to take over as the starter for the future.
Barry Reeger | AP file photo
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It was an announcement that seemed likely since camp ended in August. Christian Veilleux made it official on Tuesday.
The Penn State quarterback is looking for a better opportunity to play and will seek a transfer.
It was an expected move after he was supplanted by true freshman Drew Allar on the depth chart at the start of the season. With Allar in line to take over the Nittany Lions’ offense, Veilleux will look for a place to challenge for a starting job.
“Being at Penn State has been nothing but a blessing,” Veilleux wrote on social media. “I want to thank my teammates, coaches and staff for memories that I’ll cherish forever.
“I will be entering my name in the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility.”
A former four-star recruit from Ottawa who played his high school ball in Maryland, the 6-foot-4 Veilleux will certainly have plenty of suitors.
Circumstances have limited him to just one meaningful game over the last three years, as his senior season at the Bullis School in 2020 was wiped out by the pandemic. He went from not playing in a live game from November 2019 to November 2021 when he was pressed into action against Rutgers because of a flu bug that struck the team.
Veilleux, too, was sick but recovered to be cleared to play that weekend. Starter Sean Clifford needed an IV just to try to play, but when he struggled through the first few drives, he was replaced by Veilleux.
He delivered. Veilleux went 15-for-24 for 235 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Lions to a win, adding 36 yards on the ground.
That performance had many expecting he would open the 2022 campaign as the top backup to Clifford. But Allar took a leap from his initial showing in the spring to training camp through August and moved up in time for the opener, playing briefly at Purdue.
As it was, Allar played in a majority of Penn State’s games, while Veilleux appeared in mop-up duty against Ohio, Auburn and Maryland.
For his part, coach James Franklin was hoping to find a way to keep Veilleux in the fold for next year. With his departure, the 2023 depth chart is now set to be Allar, a true sophomore, followed by redshirt freshman Beau Pribula and incoming true freshman Jaxon Smolik, who can’t sign with the team for another three weeks.
“There’s a lot of twists and turns along these journeys, but I think Veilleux has been phenomenal,” Franklin said earlier this month. “His attitude has been great. He’s been great in meetings. He’s totally engaged. …. His body language, his demeanor, his leadership, his attention to detail, the way he’s preparing as if he was the starter has been really good. Those types of things specifically at those positions I think are really important.
“We’ll see how this all plays out, but I hope he stays at Penn State and continues to chase his dream and gets his degree and see how it all plays out, because again, there’s a lot of twists and turns along these journeys.”
It’s just the start of what will now annually be the most hectic off-field month of the year for programs. With the transfer portal now being restricted to two specific windows, things are set to pick up when it officially opens on Monday.
Penn State already has one major victory with left tackle Olu Fashanu announcing his return for next season, passing up a first-round draft projection.
There figure to be several more roster changes over the next month, whether it be the NFL or the portal.
”There’s part of me that it breaks my heart a little bit about the conversations and the things that you’re having now in college football that you didn’t used to have,” Franklin said. “But I also understand this is where we’re at and kind of embrace it. And there’s really, there’s good in both, right?”
BIG TEN HONORS
The Big Ten released the first half of their season awards on Tuesday, naming all-conference teams for defense and special teams.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. led the way for Penn State as a first-team selection by the coaches and media.
Senior defensive tackle PJ Mustipher was a second-team pick by the coaches while a pair of true freshmen earned second-team nods from the media — Abdul Carter at linebacker and Nick Singleton as a kick returner.
Third-team choices included Mustipher (media), Carter (coaches), safety Ji’Ayir Brown (coaches and media), cornerback Kalen King (coaches and media) and defensive end Adisa Isaac (coaches).
Honorable mentions were given to Singleton (coaches), Isaac (media), linebacker Curtis Jacobs (both), defensive end Chop Robinson (both), punter Barney Amor (coaches), cornerback Johnny Dixon (media), kicker Jake Pinegar (media) and defensive end Nick Tarburton (coaches).
Long snapper Chris Stoll was Penn State’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh was named coach of the year by both coaches and media.
Iowa’s Jack Campbell topped the player awards, winning defensive player of the year and linebacker of the year. Also honored were Michigan’s Mike Morris (defensive lineman of the year), Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon (defensive back of the year), Michigan’s Jake Moody (kicker of the year), Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer (punter of the year) and Indiana’s Jaylin Lucas (return specialist of the year).
All-Big Ten teams and individual awards for offense will be announced Wednesday.