Penn State Football Names Team Captains for 2017 Season

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass in the first quarter against the USC Trojans during the 103rd Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl. USC defeated Penn State 52-49 in the highest scoring game in Rose Bowl history. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass in the first quarter against the USC Trojans during the 103rd Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl. USC defeated Penn State 52-49 in the highest scoring game in Rose Bowl history. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Who will be representing Penn State as captains during the 2017 football season?

As Penn State opens spring practice for the 2017 college football season, the program has named its captains. The Nittany Lions will be represented by a senior and two juniors, as voted on by coaches and players.

Senior linebacker Jason Cabinda and juniors, quarterback Trace McSorley and safety Nick Scott, will be the team leaders during the upcoming season. The news was announced via a school press release on Wednesday.

Head coach James Franklin praised the three players who were selected as captains.

"“These three young men have been leaders in our program, on and off the field,” Franklin said. “They live our four core values and act with the program’s best interest in mind. Our team is in good hands with these guys!”"

Cabinda has been a big part of the Penn State defense since his true freshman season in 2014. Despite missing five games due to injury last year, he finished third on the team with 81 total tackles. He recorded at least eight tackles in every game he played in, including the 13 he made during the upset of No. 2 Ohio State. The senior linebacker is expected to be a leader on defense this season.

More from Victory Bell Rings

McSorley started every game for the Nittany Lions last season and put up some fantastic numbers running Joe Moorhead’s up-tempo offense. He finished with 3,614 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. He also added 365 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. McSorley enters the new season as one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference.

Scott has been an important player on special teams over the last two years. He finished second on the team last year with eight special teams tackles, including three in the win over Maryland. Scott began his Penn State career as a running back, but has since made the switch to safety.

Penn State will conclude its spring practice session on April 22 with the annual Blue-White game. The Nittany Lions kick off the 2017 season on at home on September 2 against the Akron Zips.