Blue White Illustrated

| LETTERMEN RETURNING None LETTERMEN LOST Matt McGloin*, Shane McGregor, Garrett Venuto RISING STAR It's all conjecture at this point, but the mere fact that Penn State is giving Christian Hackenberg a fair shot at winning the starting job as a true freshman indicates that the coaching staff is sold on his potential. Without so much as taking a snap, he supplanted the team's most experienced returnee, Steven Bench, on the depth chart this spring. Bill O'Brien told Bench, essentially, that he had become the third man in a two-man race, and the sophomore from Georgia transferred shortly after that conversation, ending up at the University of South Florida. With Bench out of the picture, the questions surrounding Hackenberg this summer have less to do with his raw ability than with how quickly he can be expected to master the offense and how much on-the-job training the coaches plan on giving him. Juco transfer Tyler Ferguson is also in contention for the starting job, so the coaches don't necessarily have to use Hackenberg at all. But they could also decide that Hackenberg gives the team its best chance of achieving long-term success, even if it means taking some lumps initially. BIGGEST LOSS Well, this certainly isn't a tough call. In his lone season as the linchpin of O'Brien's offense, McGloin broke 10 school records, was an honorable mention All-Big Ten choice and won the Burlsworth Trophy, which goes to the nation's outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. NUMBERS GAME McGloin attempted the same number of passes as a senior as he did during his sophomore and junior years combined: 446. That unusual coincidence provides an interesting basis for comparison. During his first two years, McGloin's completion rate was 54.5 percent; during his senior year, it was 60.5 percent. Also, in his first two years, he threw for 3,119 yards; last year he threw for 3,266. But the biggest difference was in his touchdown-interception ratio. During the 2011 and '12 seasons, it was 22-14; last year it was 24-5. OUTLOOK It's Hackenberg vs. Ferguson in the biggest battle of Penn State's off-season. Neither one has a lick of Football Bowl Subdivision experience, and the offense they are striving to learn is by no means simple. A year ago, Penn State was fourth in the Big Ten in pass attempts and third in completions, so there's a lot riding on the outcome of this competition, even if the Lions are able to rely more heavily on the running game than they did a year ago. While the arrival of two new quarterbacks has stirred up a lot of excitement among those who can't wait to see how O'Brien and quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher are able to mold a couple of hotshot young prospects, it bears mentioning that Penn State tried to prevent this scenario from playing out. The staff pursued Maryland transfer Danny O'Brien last year in the hope that he would compete for the starting job in 2012 and '13, and it also went after juco All-American Jake Waters last December. O'Brien's decision to enroll at Wisconsin may have been a blessing in disguise; he left school after falling to fourth place on the Badgers' depth chart this past spring. As for Waters, he completed 14 of 18 passes for 249 yards and three TDs in Kansas State's spring game and is engaged in a tight battle for the Wildcats' starting QB spot. So Penn State may end up regretting its inability to woo him to University Park. Then again, it might not. The conventional wisdom has a way of shifting, as it did last year when the once-embattled McGloin emerged as a star. Ferguson has had seven months to absorb the complexities of Penn State's offense, and that head start could be just what he needs to lay claim to the starting spot. But no TYLER FERGUSON Steve Manuel QUARTERBACK NO 5 14 17 3 NAME Tyler Ferguson OR Christian Hackenberg D.J. Crook Austin Whipple YR So. Fr. Fr. Fr. HT 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-1 WT 213 225 206 190 one should underestimate Hackenberg. While it would have been nice to let him watch and learn during his first season, he looks to have all the tools to succeed if he's put in favorable situations. Given the talent level elsewhere on offense, O'Brien and Fisher should be able to create those kinds of situations this fall, just as they did for McGloin last year. * Starting experience in 2012

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