Penn State Football: 5 Reasons Trace McSorley will win Heisman in 2018

As Trace McSorley heads into his final season as quarterback, he looks to bring home the Heisman Trophy and a national title for Penn State Football.

Heading into the 2018 season, the Penn State Nittany Lions have some question marks following key departures on offense including running back Saquon Barkley and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead (now the head coach a Mississippi State). Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, quarterback Trace McSorley returns for his third year as their signal caller.

With all eyes on Saquon Barkley in 2017, McSorley quietly became one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. Following a Big Ten Championship in 2016 and a Fiesta Bowl win in 2017, the Nittany Lions have their eyes fixated on the College Football Playoff and an invite for McSorley to New York for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony is more likely than not, here’s why:

1. Dominating the RPO

In 2017, opposing defenses focused heavily on Saquon Barkley, both in the backfield and out in coverage. This allowed Trace McSorley to show off not only his arm talent but his ability to read the defense.

Integrated heavily into their offense in 2016 by former offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, the run-pass option (RPO) has been a key to their success over recent years. McSorley has taken the RPO to his advantage and knows how to beat the defense whether it is handing the ball off or keeping it and tossing it across the middle of the field to one of his open receivers.

According to Pro Football Focus, McSorley has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation on long-developing passes over the past two seasons, especially in 2016 where he led the Big 10 in touchdowns (17) on passing plays 2.6 seconds or longer.

In addition to passing the ball, another part of the RPO is knowing when to tuck it and run. Over the past two seasons, McSorley has 856 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. When given options, McSorley is a headache for defenses.