STATE COLLEGE -- It has been almost two months since Tommy Stevens announced he was leaving the Penn State football program and about three weeks since Mississippi State declared that it had landed him.

Things have certainly changed for the former ‘Lion’ and backup to Trace McSorley. For James Franklin’s team, however, nothing has been altered as the team sits less than 60 days from the start of summer camp, save for the quarterback room having one new chair open during meetings, of course.

"I want what's best for Tommy, what's best for Penn State football, what's best for college football," Franklin said. "It seems like every day, you go on social media and the Internet and there's some story going on with transfers.

"At the end of the day, I care about Tommy. He did wonderful things for us and our program, and I wish him nothing but success, and obviously, I want to make sure Penn State is successful."

Franklin spoke to reporters for the first time since April just outside the Lasch Building on Wednesday, and he remains steadfast in his decision to not name a starter, even if most expect redshirt sophomore Sean Clifford to win the job eventually.

The battle to be QB1, the head coach said, will stretch into August, as an open competition for jobs across the roster has been a pinnacle part of the program since Franklin arrived on a rainy day in 2014, and it’s not changing now that it must replace one of the greatest players ever at the position and overall.

"Guys who are returning starters have an advantage, but we're going to have open competition every single year," Franklin said. "You have to go out and earn it. Obviously, we got two freshmen that came in at mid-semester, and they're going to get more opportunities and reps because our situation has changed.

"We'll see how that plays out, but we've been pretty consistent that, at every position, it's going to be a competition."

Clifford is expected to lead the way after serving as the primary backup in 2018 when Stevens was sidelined. He even played in meaningful moments during the Citrus Bowl when McSorley was hurt and could not return right at the start of the third quarter. Redshirt freshman Will Levis, who saw increased work during spring ball with Stevens labeled as limited, will have a shot at earning the starting job, too, while January enrollees Taquan Roberson and Michael Johnson Jr. will battle for a chance to be the third-team quarterback, in all likelihood.

"We've done a pretty good job of recruiting and then developing guys," Franklin said. "We have a lot of confidence in Sean and what he's been able to do. Levis now is thrust into a more significant situation, and instead of it being a three-way battle with Levis, Sean, and Tommy, now it's a three-way quarterback battle with one of the two freshmen.

"Consistency is very important, so people know what to expect."

Fans have frequently wondered if Clifford can be mobile enough to run coordinator Ricky Rahne’s spread scheme that is heavy on run-pass option looks, and teammates and coaches have been adamant that he can, and Franklin added to those beliefs.

It's clear that, if Clifford is the man as most assume, this offense won't change much from the way that it's been run the last few seasons.

"I think Sean's one of those guys, he's so competitive and so driven, he came in here, and you knew he could make plays with his mind, make plays with his arm, but you didn't know how much of a threat he could be as a runner, but he's really improved in those areas," Franklin said.

"His testing numbers, they're as good as Trace's in terms of his 40, vertical jump, and pro agility. They were not when he got here, but he has worked himself into a damn good athlete, and I think he's going to be able to do a lot of things that will surprise people at first."

Penn State will continue its strength-staff and player-led summer workouts through July, with camp expected to start either at the end of that month or in early August. The team plays its opener Aug. 31 opposite Idaho at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff has been set for 3:30 p.m.