Don’t Worry About Hackenberg
As typical with the big name college quarterbacks, one bad game, one bad throw completely kills their public image and makes everyone completely forget about them. Look at Teddy Bridgewater. He entered his final college season as the “hands down, no doubt about it” number one pick. What happened? The decision not to use a glove at his Pro Day happened. Jadeveon Clowney’s highlight reel hits took the attention away. The consequences? Bridgewater fell to the 32nd overall pick in a draft with several exciting quarterback prospects. That’s the crazy world of college football and the NFL draft.
A season later, what have we seen so far? Blake Bortles didn’t necessarily excite fans in Jacksonville after going 3rd overall; Johnny Manziel… do I even need to go there? Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Tom Savage are still wait and see. As of this moment, based on his talent and rookie success, it seems like Teddy Bridgewater WAS the most talented quarterback in the 2014 draft.
Enter Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg. The scouts and talking-heads have pronounced him one of the best quarterbacks in the draft, maybe having first overall pick potential. While he only had 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his sophomore season, also his first season under James Franklin and offensive coordinator John Donovan, the talent is unquestionable. Every scout says don’t look at his numbers as he works in a spread offense designed for mobile passer. Look at his arm strength, pocket presence, and leadership. That pocket presence is the best I’ve ever seen! Does he have stuff to work on? Of course! He’s only 20 years old! While his pocket presence is outstanding, his pocket awareness is not. He takes too many hits, but at the same time he’s behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football.
Sep 5, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) is sacked by Temple Owls defensive linesmen Haason Reddick (58) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Temple defeated Penn State 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Last weekends game against Temple was horrid. There’s no dancing around it. The Penn State offensive line allowed ten sacks and Hackenberg threw a bad interception to a defensive end on a swing pass. He couldn’t get the ball to arguably the best wide receiver in the Big 10, Daesean Hamilton. How much of this loss is his fault? Some, but not the majority of it. Bad playcalling and a lack of talent around him is primarily to blame.
When Hackenberg started as a true freshman under Bill O’Brien’s pro offense he thrived. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards, with 20 touchdowns, ten interceptions and a 134 QBR. All this surrounded by a team devastated by sanctions and the loss of scholarships. Not bad for an 18-year old kid playing in one of the toughest environments in all of college sports.
When O’Brien left Happy Valley for the Houston Texans, Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin and his staff entered. They’d made Jordan Matthews the SEC’s all-time receiver and performed decently well in the dominant SEC. Franklin is by far the best recruiter in all of college football, convincing prospects to wear Blue and White over Crimson Red or Ohio State’s silver.
Dec 27, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) celebrates a touchdown pass against the Boston College Eagles during the first half of the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Going forward, we need to remember a couple of things. One, Hackenberg’s freshman performance in a comfortable, pro style offense that let him sling the ball 50 yards down the field. If he somehow ends up in Houston, he has star potential. Second, the talent around him is not up to par with guys like Connor Cook in an AP top five team in Michigan State. The Penn State offensive line gave up 44 sacks, leaving Hackenberg on his back for most of the season. In the history of the NFL, the record for sacks allowed in a game is 12. That’s only happened five times, most recently in 2007 when the Eagles trucked over the Giants. In the majority of circumstances, Hackenberg will get time and protection to get the ball out. Like the scouts have said, look at the overall talent, not the numbers/production.
This happens every year. Someone is projected be the first overall pick based on their talent and previous success. All the sudden, someone/something crashes the party and completely throws off teams draft boards. Unfortunately, this year was Hackenberg’s year and guys like Joey Bosa and Jared Goff have crashed the party. While he may not show the success guys like Cook or Bosa might display this season, his talent is completely undeniable. If Hackenberg can stay healthy, he could make a major impact in the NFL for many years. As we say at Penn State, it’s time to “release the Hacken”.