Is Trace McSorley the best ever to throw the rock around at PSU?
- Thread starter Breeze90
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I presume your interest is more than just passing the ball.
He'll have all of the records, obviously, but he has to be behind Blackledge & Shaffer. Guys who took the #1 ranking don't go to the back of the line.
Behind Kerry Collins, too.
But among his more "modern" contemporaries like Morelli, Clark, McGloin, Robinson, Mills, Hackenberg, I'd take McSorley. There's a case to be made for some of those other guys, sure, but my personal opinion is that McSorley is the best Penn State QB of the 21st century.
No, he’s a fiery competitor and a very good duel threat QB, but I’d put him behind Collins and Blackledge during my time.
I’d also like to imagine what players like Casey, MRob, and Clark would have done in this RPO offense. It’s made for huge stats and big plays. Those three other guys were even better athletes than Trace and at least Trace’s equal as leaders.
I’d also like to imagine what players like Casey, MRob, and Clark would have done in this RPO offense. It’s made for huge stats and big plays. Those three other guys were even better athletes than Trace and at least Trace’s equal as leaders.
Clark and MRob especially. They would have loved this scheme.
Shaffer was a game manager, but not worthy of being listed among the best ever at Penn State.
Fair enough.
I'll take a game manager who goes 23-1 with a #1 ranking. He did something right.
"Is Trace McSorley the best ever to throw the rock around at PSU?"
Has some competition...
He stayed out of the way for the most part. If he was even halfway decent in 1984-85, we handle OU. That record was almost entirely based on everyone surrounding him. Here’s some stats:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/john-shaffer-1.html
Isn’t this the truth. Shaffer was like Terry Hanratty on the Steelers - just don’t screw it up.
Chuck Burkhart never lost a game he started.
However IMHO Collins was best.
Mc Sorley is runner- up.
However IMHO Collins was best.
Mc Sorley is runner- up.
Yes.
Collins was the most talented but hands down McSorley is the best QB. As good of a player McSorley is, it isn't all that hard. QB wasn't exactly a position we expected to win games for us, the previous QBs were game managers, expected not to lose games, not win them.
Collins was the most talented but hands down McSorley is the best QB. As good of a player McSorley is, it isn't all that hard. QB wasn't exactly a position we expected to win games for us, the previous QBs were game managers, expected not to lose games, not win them.
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for those of us in our late 30’s, i’d say Collins, McSorely, Robinson, Clark, McGloin as a top 5. Blackledge was before my time
I'd put McSorely at #1 tied with Collins. Collins was really clutch in crunch time passing the ball and seldom made mistakes.
McSorely as a dual threat has been amazing. MRob running the RPO would have been very interesting.
Tip of the cap to those guys who led us to titles (admittedly I didn't see much of Blackledge).
McSorely as a dual threat has been amazing. MRob running the RPO would have been very interesting.
Tip of the cap to those guys who led us to titles (admittedly I didn't see much of Blackledge).
Me too. Would switch Collins and and Trace probably but otherwise that is it.
Collins was a natural freak. McSorley is a self made(with help) one that keeps getting better which is even more amazing to see.
What about Fusina? Where would you put him on the list? Overall I think it’s really hard to compare these guys. There are so many factors. The players around each of them as well as the guys coaching them.
Can you imagine the numbers Trace would have put up if he coukd have had Jay coaching him? Look at what Hack did year one with B’ob versus years 2-3 with JF.
I’m always reluctant to immediately name someone the best ever or even in the top five. Right now we are talking about Saquon being the best ever, Trace in the top 5, and some of the best receivers we’ve ever had. With that much talent we should be able to beat the Patriots!
I’m not taking anything away from this team. This is a really good team. I don’t know that I’d call it a great team. We still lost two games and had some others go down to the wire. If all these guys are the best ever we should be world beaters. There’s been a lot of talent that has come before them.
Can you imagine the numbers Trace would have put up if he coukd have had Jay coaching him? Look at what Hack did year one with B’ob versus years 2-3 with JF.
I’m always reluctant to immediately name someone the best ever or even in the top five. Right now we are talking about Saquon being the best ever, Trace in the top 5, and some of the best receivers we’ve ever had. With that much talent we should be able to beat the Patriots!
I’m not taking anything away from this team. This is a really good team. I don’t know that I’d call it a great team. We still lost two games and had some others go down to the wire. If all these guys are the best ever we should be world beaters. There’s been a lot of talent that has come before them.
He was QB on the 85 and 86 teams.
http://www.statecollege.com/news/co...hn-shaffer-661-on-trace-mcsorley-728,1474128/
Trace is not done. He's up there with Blackledge and Collins already. Better than Shaffer. One thing that Trace has over Todd and Kerry and almost all others at PSU is his consistency since RS sophomore seasons. Both Blackledge and Collins were decent their RS junior years but really didn't come into they're own until RS senior year.
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For those who don't remember, Todd Blackledge was chosen as the no. 7 pick in the 1983 NFL draft, ahead of Dan Marino and Jim Kelley.
Statistics don't help that much because Trace is playing in an offense where he is expected to win games for us weekly, as others have already stated, our other qbacks were game managers and only expected not to lose.
With the way we have been playing offense, you have to expect some interceptions. Give it another year before making the final decision, which will be devestating to the runners-up.
Statistics don't help that much because Trace is playing in an offense where he is expected to win games for us weekly, as others have already stated, our other qbacks were game managers and only expected not to lose.
With the way we have been playing offense, you have to expect some interceptions. Give it another year before making the final decision, which will be devestating to the runners-up.
Let's see just how good Trace is next year without Saquon. I really believe people overrate Trace because they like his story. He's a kid that wasn't highly recruited that many thought would play safety that has worked extremely hard to help this team become great. And he's a great leader. Kerry Collins is infinitely better. So was Blackledge. Clark in this offense would have likely been better as well. I think as time goes on and we see other QBs at Penn State play in this system Trace will drop in the minds of many. Great kid, great QB not the GOAT at Penn State. Trace deserves all the credit in the world for what he has accomplished but let's be real. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion but, IMO, Trace being higher than third is crazy 
Happy New Year
Happy New YearI still believe people put too much emphasis on size. If Trace were 2 inches taller, it wouldn't even be a question. His placement on deep balls is second to none. In fact, his accuracy in general should not be questioned. He typically hits his receiver in stride, unless he is throwing away from coverage.
I do think it is difficult to compare to Collins and Blackledge, because of the difference in offensive styles. Although, the '94 team spread the ball around the same way as McSorley's team without the RPO.
The one test I use is the television factor. In the stands you can see the whole field, so you know when a QB is throwing to the right spot. While on tv, you can't always tell what the QB is doing when the ball is released. I remember many times in the past when I would "hold my breath" every time one of our QBs released the ball. I typically don't feel that with Trace.
If I have only one QB to win one game for everything, I would not have a problem if you gave me Blackledge, Collins, or McSorley. So there you have it. Tied in the top 3, and one more year to stand alone.
I do think it is difficult to compare to Collins and Blackledge, because of the difference in offensive styles. Although, the '94 team spread the ball around the same way as McSorley's team without the RPO.
The one test I use is the television factor. In the stands you can see the whole field, so you know when a QB is throwing to the right spot. While on tv, you can't always tell what the QB is doing when the ball is released. I remember many times in the past when I would "hold my breath" every time one of our QBs released the ball. I typically don't feel that with Trace.
If I have only one QB to win one game for everything, I would not have a problem if you gave me Blackledge, Collins, or McSorley. So there you have it. Tied in the top 3, and one more year to stand alone.
It's premature to have this discussion really. Collins, Blackledge and Shaffer are in the pantheon because of their senior years. McSorley hasn't had his senior year yet.
How many people here remember Doug Flutie? Trace McSorley is as close as we're going to see to Doug Flutie at Penn State. Very accurate thrower, tremendously competitive, extremely good decisionmaker, great under pressure, TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH.
How many people here remember Doug Flutie? Trace McSorley is as close as we're going to see to Doug Flutie at Penn State. Very accurate thrower, tremendously competitive, extremely good decisionmaker, great under pressure, TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH.
I think the fact that you can already make a fair argument for putting Trace over the guys you listed even though he hasn't played his senior season yet says a lot about what Trace has done over his entire Penn State career.
John Shaffer is not even CLOSE! What exactly stands out about his senior year?
Passing
Year School Conf Class Pos G Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A AY/A TD Int Rate
1983 Penn State Ind QB 12 5 19 26.3 59 3.1 -4.0 0 3 20.8
1984 Penn State Ind QB 11 40 96 41.7 534 5.6 2.5 1 7 77.2
1985 Penn State Ind QB 11 103 228 45.2 1366 6.0 4.7 8 10 98.3
1986 Penn State Ind QB 11 114 204 55.9 1510 7.4 7.4 9 4 128.7
He deserves credit for winning a championship, but that is like saying Trent Dilfer is in the top 3 NFL QBS.
Let's see just how good Trace is next year without Saquon. I really believe people overrate Trace because they like his story. He's a kid that wasn't highly recruited that many thought would play safety that has worked extremely hard to help this team become great. And he's a great leader. Kerry Collins is infinitely better. So was Blackledge. Clark in this offense would have likely been better as well. I think as time goes on and we see other QBs at Penn State play in this system Trace will drop in the minds of many. Great kid, great QB not the GOAT at Penn State. Trace deserves all the credit in the world for what he has accomplished but let's be real. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion but, IMO, Trace being higher than third is crazy
Trace has put the team on his shoulders multiple times in games where we had zero ground game. Clark didn’t have that problem, and Collins definitely didn’t have that problem.
To me he is the 2nd best behind Collins. And it’s not because I like his story. It’s because I’ve watched this kid take over games against good opposition and make amazing throws time after time.
That didn’t just start with the Moorhead offense. You knew exactly what was coming from watching the 2nd half of the Taxslayer bowl against a top 5 Georgia defense.
Let's put Clark in this offense next to Saquon and see what numbers he puts up. Next year will tell you how important Saquon, Gesicki and Hamilton were. We're all hoping that we don't miss a beat. I think it's insane to assume that is a given.
And, yes, I believe as soon as we get a QB that can be a homerun threat running the ball for this offense people will quickly drop Trace in their rankings. Justin Fields for example had he not decommitted.
Yes and it's not close. Collins, Fusina and Blackledge were great but Trace is in a different league because of dual threat abilities.
Justin Fields is considered to be the best HS QB prospect in years by some gurus.
Yeah, had he come here he could have been a potential GOAT. However, players like him just don’t come around often. So not sure what the point is by saying that McSorley is holding the offense back because he’s not a generational talent like Justin Fields.
I also don’t get the Clark comparison. I would easily argue that he had more talent than Trace around him. All 5 o-line starters on the 2008 team were eventual 1st team All B1G. If the o-line was holding back Barkley these past two years, why wouldn’t it also have held back Trace?
So let me just flat out ask you, would you rather have Daryll Clark or Trace McSorley as our QB in 2018?
To me, it’s not even a question.
I'd take Clark. I'd also take MRob. I could see a valid argument for all three but I want the best runner possible. That's not Trace IMO.
Trace is already in the top three in my opinion and he’s not even finished yet. At this point I would say he has the biggest stones out of any of our qbs with that fearless attitude. Some of those throws against Washington were ballsy and the throw to beat iowa was epic. We are very lucky to have this guy in blue and white.
To me he’s the best already regardless of not winning a national title.. Terry Bradshaw won four Super Bowls and is probably not a top 25 qb of all time!!! What Trace does for this team is remarkable!!
I love McSorley, and I think he has a chance to challenge Collins for the #1 spot on the list. Collins' senior year was one of the iconic performances in the history of college QB's. Collins was the classic dropback QB, and he had all the throws. He was a great game manager who seemed to have JVP's total confidence to be able to audible in any situation. In fairness, that team was an absolute scoring juggernaut...best QB, best RB, best TE, best receiver, great OL, etc. Their average scoring drives was about 60 seconds long.
My only concern with McSorley has been that his passing accuracy was inconsistent, but his performance in the Fiesta Bowl was amazing, and if he can continue to throw like that he can climb to the top of the list. Can't wait to see what he does next year with a solid OL in front of him.
My only concern with McSorley has been that his passing accuracy was inconsistent, but his performance in the Fiesta Bowl was amazing, and if he can continue to throw like that he can climb to the top of the list. Can't wait to see what he does next year with a solid OL in front of him.
What? We got a ton of elite guys. We lost out on Swift (who even Barkley said today will be a top 5-10 pick in 2 years) and Fields. That happens. Stop pretending that we get the best recruits. Sometimes we lose battles and those guys are better than the guys we get. Just like we guys that are better than other programs get. Do I wish we had Swift? Yes, he's far better than Sanders. He's special. Do I wish we got Fields? Yes, he's a perfect fit for our offense and a top 5 player in this class. God forbid I acknowledge other teams get guys we wanted
But that's all you talk about. You've harped on Swift multiple times and now you're all about Fields. Guess what....there were higher ranked players than Barkley coming out of high school....you were probably wishing we had gotten someone else at the time. Why don't we let Fields take a snap before we anoint him the next Heisman winner.
Trace is elusive enough with his running to setup his passing game, which in my opinion is much more dangerous than a good runner.
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