Big 12 Football: 3 transfer landing spots for OK State QB Spencer Sanders

Penn State

One of the rumored destinations mentioned for Sanders since he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 5 is the Penn State Nittany Lions.

There’s a lot that makes sense about Sanders’ fit with Penn State too. He was originally recruited to Oklahoma State out of high school by second-year Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

Sanders was also recruited by head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions out of high school during the 2018 cycle. Franklin and the Nittany Lions were one of the 14 FBS programs that offered Sanders in the 2018 class.

Since Yurcich was the OC that originally recruited Sanders to Oklahoma State, it would make sense that they seek a reunification at Penn State in 2023.

But would this make sense for both parties in terms of the scheme and personnel fit?

My initial thought is yes.

Penn State still runs the spread offense that puts an emphasis on creative and productive play-calling and big plays. Simply put, Yurcich likes to get some short passes and inside run plays called early in games to set the tone and build up for some bigger plays to gash opposing defenses.

But Yurcich will try to do that in a multitude of ways. Whether it is getting a slot receiver down the seam on a deep ball or a contested deep throw on the sidelines to an outside receiver, Yurcich will attempt multiple different play calls to get the ball down the field on explosive plays.

This sort of creativity and emphasis on explosive plays is something that should resonate with Sanders. As a dual-threat quarterback that is often able to create something out of nothing while still having a good enough arm and pocket awareness to get the ball to his playmakers at many different spots on the field, Sanders should be a nice fit with this spread offense under Yurcich.

Penn State is either going to find a quarterback in the portal to replace the departing senior Sean Clifford in 2023 or roll the dice with a younger option at the position. One younger option for Penn State is a true freshman and former five-star recruit Drew Allar, who put up nearly 350 passing yards, four touchdowns, and no picks in limited snaps this fall.