FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla.
Hypothetically there is no guarantee that the Penn State quarterback of the future is already on the roster. Since the conclusion of the regular season a growing pool of quarterback transfers has in the very least given programs the option to court some established signal callers.
If junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg opts to declare for the NFL Draft following Saturday’s bowl game it puts Penn State in the position of needing to fill the shoes of one of the best quarterbacks in program history. It’s a future that the Nittany Lions have been preparing for, but one that is not yet definitively clear as 2015 comes to a close.
Speaking to the media following the final bowl practice of the week, quarterback’s coach Ricky Rahne talked about the future of his position and where it might go if the post-Hackenberg era is only days away.
“I would say that our entire staff including coach Moorehead is really excited about all of the quarterbacks on our roster and I think that those guys can take us into the future,” Rahne said. “Obviously Christian is still analyzing his decision and it’s a big decision between him and his family and I think he has done a great job keeping his focus on us and his team and quite frankly you guys have done a good job not asking him about it every four seconds so we’ll see but I think that the quarterbacks on our roster are very talented.”
While Rahne isn’t likely to talk down his own players, it does speak to the confidence both he and James Franklin have had in the quarterbacks across the depth chart.
“We have three quarterbacks we’re excited about,” Franklin said leading up bowl week. “This will allow the offensive line to continue to grow and mature and take some of the pressure off.”
So who is next in line? On the current roster it’s Trace McSorely and Tommy Stevens, likely in that order, to take over the wheel of the offense. From there incoming freshmen Jake Zembiec, who will enroll this January, would need a strong camp to jump the practice veterans already on campus.
Anything can happen, Penn State courted former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien while Matt McGloin still was the big man on campus, but after Thursday it seems more likely that you already know Penn State’s quarterback in 2016.
You just don’t know his name yet.
