Remembering Penn State’s Top Recruits Over the Last 10 Years

2013- QB Christian Hackenberg

To say that there was excitement when quarterback Christian Hackenberg signed with Penn State in 2013 would be a major understatement. The pro style quarterback was ranked No. 2 at his position and No. 13 overall.

Bringing in a five-star quarterback is always a big deal, so the expectations following Hackenberg to Happy Valley were enormous.

Hackenberg joined the Nittany Lions at an unfortunate time. The program was placed under damaging NCAA sanctions that really hurt the depth of the team due to scholarship restrictions.

Still, under head coach Bill O’Brien, Hackenberg thrived as a true freshman. He put up 2,955 passing yards with 20 touchdowns that first season.

With sky-high expectations for the 2014 season, Hackenberg had to face some more adversity when O’Brien left for the NFL and James Franklin took over. Hackenberg never really fit the offense and had some struggles, particularly during the 2015 season.

Hackenberg left Penn State to pursue a career in the NFL. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, but never saw the field during his rookie campaign.

While he didn’t live up to all of the expectation, to say Hackenberg was a bust at Penn State would be harsh. He left the school with several records, including a top career mark of 8,457 passing yards.