Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg wisely declares for NFL Draft

By Patrick Schmidt

Oct 10, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) looks to throw a pass during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Indiana 29-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Oct 10, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) looks to throw a pass during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Indiana 29-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /
facebooktwitterreddit

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg is leaving school early and declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft.

The end of the Christian Hackenberg era in Happy Valley has come. After he was knocked out with a shoulder injury during Penn State’s loss in the Taxslayer Bowl to the Georgia Bulldogs, the junior quarterback announced he was declaring for the NFL Draft.

It’s not a move that should come as a surprise after the last two years under head coach James Franklin who stagnated his development as a freshman under former head coach Bill O’Brien.

During his one season under O’Brien, Hackenberg was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after throwing for 2,955 yards with 20 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions and looked like a future first rounder.

However, he regressed as a sophomore after O’Brien left for the Houston Texans and Franklin came in. Hackenberg threw 12 touchdowns to 15 interceptions and his yards per attempt, completion percentage and quarterback rating all dipped.

As a junior, Hackenberg cut his interceptions to five, but his 53.3 completion percentage and 2,386 were career-lows for the three-year starter. Hackenberg is a high character guy who means so much to the Penn State after remaining committed to the program in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the subsequent NCAA sanctions, but his time with Franklin dampened his career arc with the Nittany Lions.

The 6-4, 230-pound Hackenberg looks the part of a prototypical pro-style quarterback prospect but the film suggests he’s more of a project than a potential Pro Bowler who will come off the board early in the draft.

I don’t think he’s a first-round pick based on what’s happened the last two years, but he has the size and arm strength that will entice some NFL teams at the combine and Penn State’s pro day that he could enter the second or third round conversation if he nails his pre-draft workouts and interviews.

More saturday blitz: Best College Football Player Born in Each State

He made the right decision to leave now, because he’s already given so much to Penn State that staying another year, Franklin runs the risk of ruining him even further that he is best served getting to the league now and learning from quarterback coaches and offensive masterminds who can get the most out of his talents, something Franklin couldn’t or didn’t know how to do.

Home/Big Ten