Is Daryll Clark Ready?

Penn State’s Daryll Clark has been waiting quietly in the wings for two years. It must have been hard, watching people boo Anthony Morelli, yet rarely having the chance to play. The spot this year for starting quarterback wasn’t even automatically his – Joe Paterno was also considering Pat Devlin and Paul Cianciolo.

But Clark can rest easy, at least until Friday night. JoePa told him Monday night that he’d be starting on Saturday when Penn State plays Coastal Carolina.

“This is what I’ve been waiting on. … It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been very patient, very quiet about everything…I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t nervous about Saturday, because I am.”

Clark is a senior, but will likely be coming back for a fifth year. If he does, Devlin might not get to start until 2010, when he’ll be a senior. Ouch.

Unlike some schools, Penn State has always been really good at standing behind a single quarterback, and Paterno has said that this will also be the case with Clark. Now, I’m sure that if Clark REALLY sucks, Devlin will get to start, but personally, I think he’s ready to lead this team. Devlin might get to play a bit, but in the same way that Clark got to play when Morelli led PSU. says Clark about Devlin, though:

“I can feel his pain. It was real close. It could have easily went the other way. I will always tell him to be ready because is very capable of running the show.”

Picture via Newscom.