This is from the Insider article on ESPN. He loves Hack and thinks he's a steal. Just needs some time to season.
Five takeaways on Christian Hackenberg
1. I'll be shocked if Hackenberg is not a first-round pick
The biggest surprise to me on Hackenberg is that no one is really talking about him in the first round. This was the No. 1 prospect in the nation a few years ago and someone who showed during his freshman year he could produce at a high level in a true NFL-style offense. What he showed during that first year at Penn State -- before the coaching change, before the system change, before all the things that derailed him -- would be enough for me to take this guy early. This man can run a 4.7-second 40, he is tough as hell and he works relentlessly. He just has to get in the right system with the right people and refocus on the small details.
2. Memories are too short when it comes to this QB
Hackenberg threw for 3,000 yards as an 18-year-old kid in an NFL offense that is hard to execute. I do not think people are giving him enough credit for that. The alert signals they had when Bill O'Brien was coaching him were straight out of the New England Patriots playbook. You might see 12-15 alerts per game. The quarterback's control at the line of scrimmage was similar to the Patriots. We all have seen Tom Brady point to his temples countless times at the line of scrimmage. They had the same alerts and mannerisms at Penn State. For a freshman to be given that type of autonomy at the line of scrimmage is unusual. When you see the same plays from the same formations that the Patriots are running, with the same audible mannerisms, you are like, 'Wow, this is cool.'
3. For Hackenberg, it's all about getting comfortable again
Hackenberg was so comfortable and productive in that O'Brien offense. The opposite was true for him when the new coaching staff arrived. Suddenly, they were running read options, and Hackenberg did not have the same control at the line of scrimmage and it looked as if there was just no confidence in the protection. The same sorts of coaching and scheme changes set back pro quarterbacks all the time, working against the development of players who might otherwise enjoy some success.
Christian Hackenberg had a stellar freshman season at Penn State, but he didn't show enough progression in his next two years. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Hackenberg must get comfortable again in his fundamentals. He changed his footwork when the new coaching staff came in. It's not that the new way was good or bad. It was just different and it was hard for him. His lack of rhythm in the new offense and the lack of protection hurt him. My hope for Hackenberg is that he can regain his confidence in his protection, in himself and in his future because if he does, he can definitely play.
4. Hackenberg was especially strong at the board
I like to see how prospects perform when I send them to the board to diagram plays and talk through their offenses. This was going to be especially challenging for Hackenberg because I was asking him to decipher two systems, one of them from multiple years ago, all while our cameras were rolling and I was pushing him. It's not easy. Hackenberg was on the board talking about H2 X Deep Over with Coach O'Brien, and then he was discussing a jet sweep play-action pass he ran for Coach James Franklin. He was able to talk pass protection, route distribution, progressions, pick-a-sides, you name it. He had great recall of every play he took at Penn State. That says a lot.
5. Hackenberg needs help from the ground up
I mentioned the importance of Hackenberg rediscovering his fundamentals. That starts from the bottom up for quarterbacks. Your footwork must be precise at all times with the routes you are throwing. His footwork was obviously different the past couple of years. He was admittedly uncomfortable with it, so he has gone back to the old way. He has to get comfortable with that again. He stayed consistent with his footwork in the shotgun when I put him through drills on the field. Now he needs to go back and refocus on the minute details of getting away from the center, knowing where his feet are going to be in the shotgun and getting back to the things that can help him be a productive pro in the future.
Five takeaways on Christian Hackenberg
1. I'll be shocked if Hackenberg is not a first-round pick
The biggest surprise to me on Hackenberg is that no one is really talking about him in the first round. This was the No. 1 prospect in the nation a few years ago and someone who showed during his freshman year he could produce at a high level in a true NFL-style offense. What he showed during that first year at Penn State -- before the coaching change, before the system change, before all the things that derailed him -- would be enough for me to take this guy early. This man can run a 4.7-second 40, he is tough as hell and he works relentlessly. He just has to get in the right system with the right people and refocus on the small details.
2. Memories are too short when it comes to this QB
Hackenberg threw for 3,000 yards as an 18-year-old kid in an NFL offense that is hard to execute. I do not think people are giving him enough credit for that. The alert signals they had when Bill O'Brien was coaching him were straight out of the New England Patriots playbook. You might see 12-15 alerts per game. The quarterback's control at the line of scrimmage was similar to the Patriots. We all have seen Tom Brady point to his temples countless times at the line of scrimmage. They had the same alerts and mannerisms at Penn State. For a freshman to be given that type of autonomy at the line of scrimmage is unusual. When you see the same plays from the same formations that the Patriots are running, with the same audible mannerisms, you are like, 'Wow, this is cool.'
3. For Hackenberg, it's all about getting comfortable again
Hackenberg was so comfortable and productive in that O'Brien offense. The opposite was true for him when the new coaching staff arrived. Suddenly, they were running read options, and Hackenberg did not have the same control at the line of scrimmage and it looked as if there was just no confidence in the protection. The same sorts of coaching and scheme changes set back pro quarterbacks all the time, working against the development of players who might otherwise enjoy some success.
Christian Hackenberg had a stellar freshman season at Penn State, but he didn't show enough progression in his next two years. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Hackenberg must get comfortable again in his fundamentals. He changed his footwork when the new coaching staff came in. It's not that the new way was good or bad. It was just different and it was hard for him. His lack of rhythm in the new offense and the lack of protection hurt him. My hope for Hackenberg is that he can regain his confidence in his protection, in himself and in his future because if he does, he can definitely play.
4. Hackenberg was especially strong at the board
I like to see how prospects perform when I send them to the board to diagram plays and talk through their offenses. This was going to be especially challenging for Hackenberg because I was asking him to decipher two systems, one of them from multiple years ago, all while our cameras were rolling and I was pushing him. It's not easy. Hackenberg was on the board talking about H2 X Deep Over with Coach O'Brien, and then he was discussing a jet sweep play-action pass he ran for Coach James Franklin. He was able to talk pass protection, route distribution, progressions, pick-a-sides, you name it. He had great recall of every play he took at Penn State. That says a lot.
5. Hackenberg needs help from the ground up
I mentioned the importance of Hackenberg rediscovering his fundamentals. That starts from the bottom up for quarterbacks. Your footwork must be precise at all times with the routes you are throwing. His footwork was obviously different the past couple of years. He was admittedly uncomfortable with it, so he has gone back to the old way. He has to get comfortable with that again. He stayed consistent with his footwork in the shotgun when I put him through drills on the field. Now he needs to go back and refocus on the minute details of getting away from the center, knowing where his feet are going to be in the shotgun and getting back to the things that can help him be a productive pro in the future.
