Welcome to your special after lunch edition of Monday Morning Quarterback!
Trace McSorley wasn’t necessarily expected to play quarterback at the FBS level. Even when he began his career in the under center (or in shotgun, more likely), plenty of observers expected him to be moved to the defensive backfield once the depth chart filled out.
That hasn’t been the case. McSorley won the training camp competition to replace Christian Hackenberg. With five games in the books, the redshirt sophomore has completed 59% of his passes and has thrown 6 touchdowns. He leads the Big Ten with 1284 total passing yards. This past weekend, against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, McSorley threw for 335 yards and ran for 73 more, including big plays down the field and clutch scrambles for touchdowns and first downs. McSorley made multiple plays with his legs and arm that made it possible for Penn State to come back in dramatic fashion.
Of course, he also completed less than 50% of his passes against Minnesota, was shellacked by a top 5 Michigan team, and threw a backbreaking interception against Pitt.
This summer, we had little to evaluate. Now, 5 games in, where do you stand on Trace McSorley? What does the future hold for Penn State’s QB position?