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Penn State Football: Trace McSorley primed for big senior season

By Barry Leonard Jr.

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks to pass the ball against the USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks to pass the ball against the USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football will be led by one of the top quarterbacks in the nation this season.

An important factor for a team’s success in college football is always the play of its quarterback. Fortunately for Penn State, the quarterback position is perhaps its biggest strength heading into the upcoming season.

Senior Trace McSorley will be entering his third season at the helm of the Penn State offense. He spent his redshirt freshman year as the backup to Christian Hackenberg and took over as the starter in 2016 when Hackenberg left for the NFL.

In two seasons as the starter, McSorley has guided the Nittany Lions to 22 wins, a Big Ten title, a berth in the Rose Bowl, and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl.

In his time with the Nittany Lions, he has put up 7,027 passing yards with 57 touchdowns. Aside from throwing the ball, McSorley is a threat to make big plays with his legs. While he’s not a run-first quarterback, he certainly isn’t afraid to take off when needed. He has carried the ball 291 times for 839 yards and 18 scores.

With two full seasons under his belt, McSorley appears ready for another big year.

Following a 342-yard, two-touchdown performance in the final game of last season, the preseason hype has already been following McSorley. He’s been mentioned as an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy and is among the leaders for the award based on early odds.

Sports Illustrated listed McSorley as the No. 15 player in college football for 2018, while the Sporting News said he’s the best quarterback in college football this season.

McSorley will be counted on to lead the Penn State offense this year in the absence of star running back Saquon Barkley. Without Barkley to focus on, defenses will likely key on stopping McSorley and the passing attack.

However, the Penn State rushing attack should be just fine with both McSorley and running back Miles Sanders, so there will be plenty of opportunities for McSorley to make plays down the field with his arm.

As for who McSorley will be throwing to, he’ll certainly miss having tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton at his disposal. Fortunately, the Nittany Lions are loaded at the receiver position.

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Guys like Juwan Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins, Brandon Polk, KJ Hamler, and Mac Hippenhammer will give McSorley plenty of options.

Penn State as a team has a lot of hype heading into the new season thanks to several key returning veterans and a crop of talented freshman. Look for McSorley to put up impressive numbers and finish out his time in Happy Valley in a big way.

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