The Stats Behind Penn State’s All-time Leading Passer: Hackenberg’s Favorite Receivers, the 79% WR Factor and Hamilton’s #30k Balls

DaeSean Hamilton has caught more passes thrown by Christian Hacken- berg than any other Penn State receiver. Ever.

And we’re talking games and practices.

Summer, says Hamilton – who’s grabbed 106 of Hackenberg’s 608 in-game completions at Penn State – is when the bulk of their work is done.

A single workout session in June or July would yield more Hackenberg-to-Hamilton connections than all 21 Nittany Lions games they\’ve played together – combined.

“It depends on how many guys are out there,” said Hamilton, a redshirt sophomore, talking about a summertime players-only practice, “but on average I’d say probably over 100 catches (per session) – 100 to 200 catches, out there for about two hours, two-and-a-half hours, running routes and working on specific concepts.”

All told, when team practices in the spring and fall and pre-bowl are included, that’s upwards to 30,000 to 40,000 balls that have been hacked Hamilton’s way. It’s chemistry – as in H2O(ffense) – earned the hard way. And in games, it has resulted in a successful play or route adjustment the two hadn’t worked on in weeks.

“I can’t count how many times I\’ve caught balls” in practice from Hackenberg, said Hamilton, “but us having chemistry all started way before my first season playing.

“We would go out and just run routes and work on concepts. We can see things and go to the sideline and communicate. We can go out and execute on something that we basically haven’t even practiced all week. As long as we have great communication and we’re seeing the same things and are on the same page, it works out.”

Every pass Hamilton has caught in Penn State game has been thrown by Hackenberg. That includes his 82 receptions for 899 yards in 2014 – the second-most catches in a Penn State single season, trailing only Allen Robinson’s 97 in 2013. Of those A-Rob grabs that season, 90 were thrown by Hackenberg and seven by Tyler Ferguson (when Hackenberg was sidelined with a second-half injury against Ohio State in The Horseshoe).

Add in Hamilton’s 24 catches for 316 yards this season and he is Hackenberg’s No. 1 all-time favorite receiver. Robinson ranks No. 2 with those 90, followed by current wide receiver Geno Lewis (79), departed tight end Jesse James (63) and second-year receiver Chris Godwin (56). Lewis, who has only seven receptions this season after 55 last year and 17 in 2013, is the only Penn State receiver to catch a Hackenberg pass in each of the past three seasons.

Overall, in his 33 games at Penn State (all 33 as a starter) Hackenberg has completed a pass to 22 different receivers – 11 wide receivers, five tight ends and six running backs. Fifteen are on the 2015 Penn State roster. Two current Nittany Lions – oft-injured tight end Adam Breneman and seldom-used fifth-year senior Matt Zanellato – last caught a pass from Hackenberg in the 2013 season. Saquon Barkley has made been the most efficient Hackenberg receiver; his one reception against San Diego resulted in a 22-yard touchdown (one yard by air, 21 yards after the catch). DeAndre Thompkins has been the least effective, with a single catch for two yards against Maryland.

Hackenberg has thrown a TD pass to 14 different players, with a career-high six each to Hamilton, Lewis and James. But he’s not the only PSU QB to toss a touchdown since he arrived on campus in 2013. Back-ups Ferguson (to Robinson vs. Ohio State in 2013) and D.J. Crook (to tight end Brent Wilkerson vs. UMass in 2014) have thrown scoring passes over the past three seasons. Wilkerson grabbed two passes overall from Crook against UMass, matching his lifetime total of two receptions of Hackenberg passes.

Since starting as a true freshman against Syracuse in the 2013 season opener in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Hackenberg has thrown 1,082 of Penn State’s 1,113 passes – 97.2%. Other Penn State players attempting passes since then have been: Ferguson (10-16-155 yards), Crook (6-9-57), Belton (0-3-0), Trace McSorley (1-1-4), Nick Scott (1-1-32) and Lewis (0-1-0). Overall, non-Hack QBs are a pretty stellar 18 of 31 (58%) for 248 yards, with two TDs and no picks.

The bulk of Hackenberg’s passes at Penn State have been to wide receivers – 396 of his 608 completions, or 65%, followed by tight ends (146, 24%) and running backs (66, 11%). Hackenberg has especially favored his wide receivers in 2015. Of his 107 completions through eight games this season, 74 (69%) have been to wide receivers, and a staggering 79% of his 2015 passing yardage (1,195 of 1,521 yards) has come from his wide receivers.

And that includes, of course, DaeSean Hamilton.