Trace McSorley

Richard Thomas "Trace" McSorley III (born August 23, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State.[1]

Trace McSorley
McSorley in 2017
No. 7 – Baltimore Ravens
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1995-08-23) August 23, 1995
Ashburn, Virginia
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods
College:Penn State
NFL Draft:2019 / Round: 6 / Pick: 197
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rush Attempts:1
Rush Yards:1
Rush TD:0
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

McSorley holds numerous Penn State records, including most passing yards in a single season, most passing touchdowns in a single season, most total yards of offense all time and total touchdowns in a season.

Early years

McSorley attended Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He played high school football and started as freshman. In his freshman year, he led the team to a 13–2 record and a state championship. Two seasons later in his junior year, he led the team to a 15–0 record and its third consecutive state title.[2] He was named First-team All-State by the Virginia Coaches Association and Virginia Preps. As a junior, he was awarded All-Dulles District First Team; Dulles District Offensive Player of the Year; and Second-team All-Region quarterback.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Trace McSorley
QB
Ashburn, VA Briar Woods HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 4.53  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 79
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    College career

    2015 season

    During McSorley's redshirt freshman year, he appeared in a total of six games, five of them when the game was in hand and McSorley was only in for a few plays.[3] In the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs, after then starter Christian Hackenberg went out with an injury, McSorley was brought in with Penn State down 24–3. He nearly led a comeback, finishing the game 14 for 27 with 142 yards and two touchdowns, but Penn State fell short 24–17.[4][5]

    2016 season

    With the early departure of quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who was drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, McSorley and redshirt freshman Tommy Stevens competed for the job. On McSorley's birthday, August 23, 2016, head coach James Franklin announced that McSorley would be the starter. In his first start on September 3, against the Kent State Golden Flashes, he went 16 of 31 for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 33–13 win.[6] In McSorley's second game, he threw for 332 yards and a score in a rivalry loss at Pitt.[7] Later in the season when the Nittany Lions played Minnesota, McSorley put up career high yardage numbers when he threw for 335 yards in a 29–26 OT win.[8]

    On October 22, 2016, Penn State and McSorley played Big Ten rival Ohio State. McSorley struggled with accurately throwing the ball, completing 8 of 23 passes for 153 yards. However, he scored two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing, en route to a stunning upset of #2 Ohio State by unranked Penn State.[9] The win gave PSU a #24 ranking in the AP Poll, PSU's first ranking in the top 25 since the 2011 season.[10] The next week at Purdue, McSorley completed 12 of 23 passing for 228 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.[11] The Nittany Lions won in a 62–24 rout and cemented their place in the AP Top-25 with a #20 ranking.[12]

    On November 1, 2016, Penn State was named #12 in the first official College Football Playoff rankings of the season.[13]

    On November 26, against rival Michigan State, McSorley threw for a career-high 376 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He went 17 of 23 with a completion percentage of 73%, and led Penn State to the 45–12 win, earning a berth to the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin.[14][15] On November 30, 2016, McSorley was named Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.[16] With a third quarter completion to DaeSean Hamilton, McSorley broke the Penn State single-season record for passing yards. The sophomore started the night fourth on the single-season list, but passed Christian Hackenberg, Daryll Clark and Matt McGloin’s to retain the top spot. McSorley finished the game with 384 yards, 22 of 31 passing, and four touchdowns in an MVP, Big Ten Championship winning performance.[17]

    "Trace has been dynamic all year long," head coach James Franklin said after the game. "I'm really proud of him, you know, his attitude, his demeanor, the type of teammate he is, the type of leader he is. Obviously he made plays tonight."

    McSorley led the Nittany Lions back from a 28-7 deficit and broke the Big Ten Championship Game record for passing yards, set by Michigan State’s Connor Cook back in 2013, and touchdowns. His 364 total yards was also a championship game record.[18]

    On December 5, 2016, it was revealed that McSorley was on multiple Heisman ballots, some even as high as two, just behind Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. McSorley became the first Nittany Lion to be on a Heisman ballot in over ten years.[19]

    After the Big Ten Championship game, McSorley ranked third in FBS in passing yard on throws over 20 yards with 1,491.

    In the 2017 Rose Bowl, McSorley went 18 for 29 with 254 yards and four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 13 yards in a 49–52 loss to the USC Trojans.[20]

    2017 season

    McSorley vs Pitt in 2017

    After his Heisman campaign in 2016 McSorley and the Nittany Lions Entered the 2017 season ranked sixth by the AP Poll.[21] In the Nittany Lions’ season opener McSorley passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns in a 52–0 rout over Akron.[22] He helped lead the team to a remarkable 7–0 start (with a 3–0 mark in conference play), outscoring opponents by a combined 213 points over that span. Through the first seven game,s McSorley had passed for 1,879 yards and thrown 14 touchdowns passes.[23]

    Bolstered by that strong start, the Lions were ranked #2 in the country coming into a rivalry match at #6 Ohio State. In the primetime matchup, McSorley threw for 192 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also rushed for 49 yards and another touchdown. However, a 19-point fourth quarter by the Buckeyes propelled them to a 39–38 comeback win, ending a potential perfect season for the Nittany Lions.[24]

    The next week against the Michigan State Spartans, McSorley threw for a season-high 381 yards and three touchdowns. However, after a 3 and a half hour delay due to weather the Nittany Lions were upset by the Spartans on a game winning field goal 27–24.[25] The Nittany Lions and McSorley responded to the two-game losing streak however. The team finished the regular season 3–0 and McSorley threw for 776 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions in his final three contests.[26]

    The 10–2 Nittany Lions faced the 10–2 Washington Huskies in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl. McSorley struggled early and threw two interceptions in the first quarter however he finished the game 342 yards and two touchdown passes and also rushed for 60 yards. McSorley was named offensive MVP for the Nittany Lions.[27][28]

    After the season, it was speculated whether McSorley would declare for the 2018 NFL Draft. After the bowl game, McSorley announced he was returning to Penn State for his senior season.[29]

    2018 season

    McSorley helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 4-0 start. In that stretch was a game against Kent State, where he passed for two touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns.[30] In the next game, a 27-26 loss to Ohio State, he had 286 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and 25 carries for 175 rushing yards.[31][32] After a loss to Michigan State in the next game, he had 220 passing yards, 107 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in a victory over Indiana.[33][34] After a victory over Iowa and a loss to Michigan, he helped lead the Nittany Lions to three consecutive wins over Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Maryland to close out the regular season.[35][36][37][38][39] The Nittany Lions qualified for the Citrus Bowl, where they lost 27-24 to Kentucky.[40] McSorley finished his final season with 2,530 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go with 798 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.[41]

    Statistics

    NCAA career statistics
    Penn State Nittany Lions
    Season Games Record Passing Rushing
    GGSCompAttYardsAvgLongPctTDIntQB ratingAttYardsAvgLongTD
    2014
    Redshirt
    2015 6020401859.32150.020105.413433.3140
    2016 141411–32243873,61416.18057.9298156.61463652.5267
    2017 131311–22844273,57012.68566.52810162.41444913.43611
    2018 13139–41923612,53013.29353.2187124.61707984.75112
    Career 464031–972012159,89913.79359.37725144.547316973.65130

    Reference[42]

    Honors and awards

    Records

    • Penn State
      • Most single-season passing yards — 3,360 yds (as of December 2016)
      • Most single-season total yards — 3979 yds (as of December 2016)[43]
      • Most single-season passing touchdowns — 29 (as of December 2016)[44]
      • Most single-season 300-yard passing games — 5 (as of December 2016)[45]
      • Most consecutive games with touchdown pass — 27[46]
      • Most total offensive yards in a single game — 461 (as of September 2018)

    Professional career

    McSorley was automatically eligible for the 2019 NFL draft as he was a graduating senior.

    McSorley had a successful combine posting a quarterback best 4.57 sec 40 yard dash, a vertical jump of 33 in as well as a 115 in broad jump. NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that some teams asked McSorley to perform workouts with defensive backs, which he declined.[47] An ESPN Mock Draft by Mel Kiper Jr. released in April 2019 had McSorley going undrafted.

    Pre-draft measurables
    Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
    6 ft 0 18 in
    (1.83 m)
    202 lb
    (92 kg)
    31 in
    (0.79 m)
    9 18 in
    (0.23 m)
    4.57 s 4.12 s 7.09 s 33 in
    (0.84 m)
    9 ft 7 in
    (2.92 m)
    31
    Combine highlights at NFL.com

    McSorley was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round (197th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.[48][49] McSorley would made his debut in Week 17 of the 2019 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His sole snap was a quarterback draw which went for 1 yard, giving him 1 rushing yard on the season.

    Personal life

    Trace is the son of Rick and Andrea McSorley, and he has one younger sister, Micaela. His father played football at the University of Richmond and an uncle, Jeff McSorley, played football at Marshall University. He enjoys playing organized and pick-up sports and video games. McSorley graduated from Penn State in May 2018 with a degree in accounting and is working on a second degree in journalism.[50]

    McSorley is a Christian.[51] McSorley has a tattoo on his left biceps consisting of a cross with the Bible verses Psalms 23:4 and Philippians 4:13. He has said that the message behind the tattoo is "always pulling me in the right direction" and keeps him grounded and true to his roots.[52]

    References

    1. "Trace McSorley PSU Bio". Penn State Football. October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
    2. Gallen, Daniel (October 18, 2016). "Penn State QB Trace McSorley". pennlive.com. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
    3. "Trace McSorley, Penn State Nittany Liohvb, Dual-Threat Quarterback". 247sports.com. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
    4. "TaxSlayer Bowl – Penn State vs Georgia Box Score, January 2, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    5. "Trace McSorley throws 2 TDs in 24–17 loss vs Georgia". Retrieved October 2, 2016.
    6. "Trace McSorley highlights vs Kent State 2016". Team Profiles – ESPN Insider (subscription required). ESPN Internet Ventures. September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
    7. "Penn State at Pitt Box Score, September 10, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    8. "McSorley throws 335 yard in OT win".
    9. "Penn State stuns No. 2 Ohio State". ESPN.com. October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
    10. "Penn State Ranked No. 24 in AP Poll". PSU Sports. October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
    11. "Penn State at Purdue Box Score, October 29, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    12. "Penn State football ranked No. 20 in latest AP Top-25 poll". Daily Collegian. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
    13. "COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF 2016: OFFICIAL COMMITTEE RANKINGS AHEAD OF WEEK 10". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
    14. "Michigan State at Penn State Box Score, November 26, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    15. "Penn State rallies to beat Michigan state and advance to Big Ten championship game". nytimes.com. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
    16. "2016 Big Ten Individual Award Winners" (PDF). www.grfx.cstv.com. Big Ten Conference. November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
    17. "Penn State vs Wisconsin Box Score, December 3, 2016". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    18. Sean Fitz (December 3, 2016). "Record-setting performance from McSorley". www.pennstate.247.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
    19. "My Heisman Trophy ballot : Trace McSorley". cbssports. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
    20. "Rose Bowl – USC vs Penn State Box Score, January 2, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    21. "2017 Penn State Nittany Lions Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    22. "Akron at Penn State Box Score, September 2, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    23. "Trace McSorley 2017 Game Log (Games 1-7)". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    24. "Penn State at Ohio State Box Score, October 28, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    25. "Penn State at Michigan State Box Score, November 4, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    26. "Trace McSorley 2017 Game Log (Games 10-12)". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    27. "Fiesta Bowl – Washington vs Penn State Box Score, December 30, 2017". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    28. https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/Board/18/Contents/Fiesta-MVPs-112948690
    29. "How good will Trace McSorley and Penn State be without Saquon Barkley". February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
    30. "Kent State at Penn State Box Score, September 15, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    31. "Ohio State at Penn State Box Score, September 29, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    32. "Trace McSorley, Penn State defense crushed again at the very end by Ohio State". The York Daily Record. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    33. "Michigan State at Penn State Box Score, October 13, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    34. "Penn State at Indiana Box Score, October 20, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    35. "Iowa at Penn State Box Score, October 27, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    36. "Penn State at Michigan Box Score, November 3, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    37. "Wisconsin at Penn State Box Score, November 10, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    38. "Penn State at Rutgers Box Score, November 17, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    39. "Maryland at Penn State Box Score, November 24, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    40. "Citrus Bowl – Kentucky vs Penn State Box Score, January 1, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    41. "Trace McSorley 2018 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
    42. "Trace McSorley stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
    43. Johnson, Richard. "How Penn State uses its QB in one of the nation's most creative offenses". SBNation.com. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
    44. "Trace McSorley breaks Penn State single-season passing record". Land of 10. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
    45. Wogenrich, Mark. "Aching early, Penn State's Trace McSorley responds once more to make Big Ten history". themorningcall.com. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
    46. Scarcella, Rich. "Penn State vs. Wisconsin: highlights and lowlights". www.readingeagle.com. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
    47. NJ.com, Mike Kaye | NJ Advance Media for (March 4, 2019). "NFL Combine 2019: Penn State QB Trace McSorley to WR? Saints' Sean Payton makes intriguing projection". nj. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
    48. Downing, Garrett (April 27, 2019). "Sixth Round (197): Ravens Select QB Trace McSorley". BaltimoreRavens.com.
    49. Patra, Kevin (April 27, 2019). "Ravens select former Penn State QB Trace McSorley". NFL.com.
    50. "Trace McSorley Personal". PSU Sports.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
    51. "Lots of faith in PSU's McSorley". Retrieved October 30, 2016.
    52. "The Meaning Behind Trace McSorley's tattoo". StateCollege.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
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