Spring Practice 2014: A "Way Too Early" Preview of the QB Position

With Spring Practice starting in a little over a month on March 17 we will be doing a “way too early” preview for each position group.  With this being the first Spring Training Camp under new head coach James Franklin, there are plenty of questions to be answered. First up, we take a look at the QB position.

Quarterback:

1. Christian Hackenberg
2. Trace McSorley
3. Michael O’Connor
4. D.J. Crook

Returning Players:

Christian Hackenberg: Year 2 of Christian Hackenberg may be the thing that many Penn State fans are most excited to see for next year. Hackenberg appeared to to take a big step forward in his last game of the year last year, throwing for 339 yards and 4 TD’s against a good Wisconsin defense. James Franklin has said it himself multiple times, if you have a QB, you have a chance, and Penn State may have the best pocket passer in the conference for next year. Moving forward, he will be Penn State’s greatest asset, and the Nittany Lions will likely be relying on him heavily in the upcoming season.

Newcomers:

Michael O’Connor: Penn State was fortunate to hang on to the 247composite 4-star Under Armour All-American QB after O’Brien left. O’Connor actually arrived on campus for the first day of classes this spring as an Early Enrollee with plans to meet James Franklin and then make a decision on whether or not he would be staying or heading back home. Ultimately, he chose to stay, and the Nittany Lions are getting a very intriguing prospect. O’Connor has NFL size and a very powerful arm. He also displayed an impressive amount of mobility in the UA All-America game, especially for his size. Despite transferring to IMG Academy from his home in Canada to learn under former Heisman winner Chris Weinke, there is still plenty of polishing to be done with O’Connor’s game.

Trace McSorley: McSorley was one of Franklin’s several Vanderbilt flips. The 3-star prospect comes to Penn State after having one of the most successful prep careers in history. McSorley was the second QB in Virginia state history to lead his team to the state championship game all 4 years, along with recent Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. McSorley, like Wilson, is undersized for a college QB and boasts impressive athleticism. While he is a capable passer, the most notable part of McSorley’s game is undoubtedly his explosiveness when he tucks it and runs.

Question Mark Heading into Spring Practice

Kyle: One of the essential conditions that got Michael O’Connor to Penn State was that he would be redshirted his freshman year to create a little distance between himself and Hackenberg in terms of class standing. While Franklin has not commented on this matter yet, the fact that O’Connor chose to attend Penn State after his last-minute on-campus meeting with Franklin makes me think that he liked what he heard. I expect him to be redshirted.

Brian:  If that is the case, we could see Trace McSorley backing up Hackenberg. The fact that McSorley is a dual threat style quarterback could ease his transition to being a college QB. A decorated quarterback in high school, McSorley brings a 4 time State Championship attitude to this group, which is part of why he could be backing up Hackenberg in the fall of 2014. Eventually, McSorley, a successful safety in high school, could be moved to the secondary where his athletic talents can be fully utilized.

Kyle: Also, the coaching staff seems hot after some pretty highly ranked dual-threat QB’s for the 2015 class, so their decisions could ultimately seal the deal on McSorley’s potential move into the defensive backfield.

Summary

Heading into spring practice, this position group is relatively set. At the very least, we know who the starter will be. So, most of what there is to be learned will occur behind Hackenberg on the depth chart. With every QB on the roster being a true sophomore or younger, there is a lot of growth yet to occur at this position.