College Football: Top 50 players for 2017

Trace McSorley became the first Penn State quarterback since Matt McGloin (2012) to lead the Big Ten in passing. The difference between that 2012 team and last year’s squad? A bowl game appearance. McSorely’s team fell short in one of the most epic Rose Bowl games of all time. After carrying his team to the edge of a College Football Playoff berth, McSorely isn’t done yet.

Penn State had one of the most explosive offenses in the country thanks to the combination of McSorley, receiver Chris Godwin and running back Saquon Barkley. The Nittany Lions ranked 49th in the nation in total offense. Good, but nothing special. However, they ranked ninth in the country in yards per passing attempt.

McSorley can throw the deep ball. Every Penn State receiver with at least 15 catches last season averaged at least 14 yards per reception. That’s a first down for each pass caught. The offense under McSorley was so efficient even that they averaged 9.3 yards per attempt – nearly a first down for every pass thrown.

The offense will have to replace Godwin, but they have plenty of pieces capable of stepping up. As long as McSorley is captaining that team they’ll be just fine. His precision and pension for the long play make him a threat on every snap.

According to Pro Football Focus, McSorley was accurate on 48.4 percent of his deep attempts last season. That was 13th best among Power-5 quarterbacks. His four passes of 70+ yards rank fifth most in the nation in 2016. He’s going to keep taking shots this season.