Penn State Football: What Tommy Stevens brings to starting QB

Tommy Stevens sets up as Penn State football’s starting quarterback next fall. His strong arm and speed as a scrambler makes another dangerous dual threat.

A new quarterback era begins when the Penn State football team takes the field next fall. Trace McSorley is headed for the NFL, meaning it’s Tommy Stevens’ time to take the reins. The dual threat QB has shown off plenty of ability in his LION role and when he’s gotten reps under center as a backup.

Stevens is far from a normal first-year starter, he was responsible for 131 offensive plays (76 carries, 41 pass attempts and 14 catches) over his three years that he backed up McSorley. He recorded 872 total yards and 14 total touchdowns against just one interception.

He’s played a significant amount of snaps and flat-out produced with them. Stevens mostly played as a gadget player in his time and plays with a similar dual-threat style like McSorley.

The difference in Stevens, is that he’s a bigger, stronger passer and not as quick-footed as a scrambler. Stevens stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 240 pounds, looking the part of the prototypical passer but possessing a long stride in the run game. He might not start runs as fast McSorley, but once he gets going, he’s flying and can pick up extra yards even with just his size.

He has shown off his big-time arm a few times like the 35-yard post pattern he threw on the money to Saeed Blacknall for a touchdown against Georgia State. He completed the pass while getting hit and managed to put more than enough power behind the throw to go over the top of the defensive back. It isn’t just the deep ball he can show off his arm with. He fires darts on short-to-intermediate routes but knows when to apply adequate touch to the ball, for instance the TD pass to Pat Freiermuth against Indiana.

He’ll help the team attack downfield a little more. Although he won’t have all the same weapons McSorley had used over the last few years, he’ll have the new set of stars like KJ Hamler and Freiermuth.

Above all, his audition against a ranked Iowa team when McSorley went down was a success. He scored a rushing touchdown and helped the offense stay afloat before McSorley came back later in the game.

Looking toward spring, he’ll certainly be the favorite to win the starting job. Stevens knows the offense, has been on the team for four years and has played significant snaps, making him the top candidate. He’ll have a tough battle against Sean Clifford, who showed he’s a fantastic passer in his own right this year.