This offseason threatened to be the one that changed the course of Penn State football.

How many times dd we hear the whispers? That coaches would be leaving, that Joe Paterno would be retiring, that [insert player name here] would be transferring.

Of course, as we stand on the precipice of the second summer session–when the players return to school, and as we can tangibly feel the approaching football season, none of those rumors came to fruition. Penn State, the program famed for its stability, is as consistent as ever.

JoePa’s still around. So is Tom Bradley. And so, as of this morning, so is Rob Bolden, according to Mike Poorman of StateCollege.com.

Rising sophomore quarterback Rob Bolden, whose future with Penn State football appeared uncertain in recent weeks, will work out with his Nittany Lion teammates before pre-season practice in August, athletics spokesman Jeff Nelson confirmed Monday.

And he said there’s “no indication (Bolden) won’t be here in the fall” for football season.

And…exhale.

I think I’ve made it clear that I’m an unwavering supporter of Bolden’s. I think he gives Penn State their best chance to win, both this year and moving forward, I think he’s a great ambassador for the university, and I think that he wasn’t necessarily given a fair shot last year.

But last year was last year, and next year is next year. And for Bolden, who publicly expressed a desire to transfer, backed perhaps by his father in that regard, in order to return, he must have received some indication that the quarterback competition would be a legitimate one. Or, he just really craved Wings Over.

Bolden, of course, became the first true freshman to start for Penn State ever, but the staff was all too willing to cut-and-run after his concussion. Yes, Matt McGloin played great football against two of the nation’s worst defenses in Northwestern and Michigan, but he was so uniformly awful against the defenses he played with a pulse–the Ohio State, Michigan State, and Florida squads–that it’s clear he simply doesn’t have the ability to win the big game for Penn State.

But Joe, Jay, and Galen treated Matt as though he were the entrenched starter, not an injury fill-in. The leash was interminably long, and it was tough to fault Bolden for expressing thoughts of transferring. He thought he was getting screwed over, and so did plenty of fans, myself included.

Granted, nothing is due to anyone, much less a true freshman. But for him to return to Penn State after his row with Paterno shows, at the very least, incredibly maturity from Bolden. And that’s a good thing. Even if he is only, as McGloin called him, “a good backup to have,” he’s a great kid to have around this program. He’s accessible–communicating often with his fans on Twitter, and he’s a leader–taking a prominent role in the football team’s charity efforts for THON and Lift for Life.

Now, let’s just hope he’s back behind center in September. And that his Wings Over craving is insatiable.