Blue White Illustrated

ON THE ROAD AGAIN Michael O'Connor, Penn State's latest four-star quarterback, opens up in a Q&A with BWI istance must not matter a whole lot to Michael O'Connor. The four-star quarterback grew up in Ottawa, Canada, where his family still lives. As a high school sophomore, he moved to Tennessee to play American football and has since moved even farther south to Bradenton, Fla., where he will play at IMG Academy this fall and train under former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, IMG's head coach. O'CONNOR After graduation, as he announced on June 8, he'll pack his bags and move to State College, Pa., to begin his career at Penn State. And, as he said, so he can be "closer" to home. It's all relative. Blue White Illustrated's Ryan Snyder recently caught up with O'Connor, the second top-10 nationally ranked QB to commit to Bill O'Brien in the past 16 months. What follows, edited for length, is a Q&A with the newest Nittany Lion quarterback. D How big of a favorite was Penn State? You didn't eliminate any other programs before choosing, but it was pretty well known that PSU was the team to beat. Was there any other program that made you think twice before deciding? It was always Penn State. They were my favorite from the day that they offered. Leading up to my commitment, I made the decision not to lead on anyone and say that some schools are in a top three or anything like that, mainly because it was always Penn State. I always knew it was going to be them in the end. You were looking to pick up a few more scholarship offers after spring practice. What schools came down, and why did you decide not to wait for those offers? Yeah, a bunch of schools came down to watch me practice. There were a bunch of big schools – Alabama, Notre Dame, Auburn were a few. It wasn't because I wasn't sold on Penn State or anything like that. I just knew that I didn't want to drag this out, so I made it clear that I'll work hard in front of coaches in the spring and then just go from there. But really, it worked out the way it was supposed to. I didn't want to be some school's backup plan, and that would've probably been the case for any other school. That's one thing I love about Penn State. From the beginning, they made it clear that I was their guy. Everyone knows about O'Brien's pedigree, but Charlie Fisher has been the coach you've been speaking with the most. Can you talk about your relationship with Coach Fisher? He played a huge part, a very important role. Everyone talks about O'Brien and his knowledge of the position, but Charlie Fisher is very impressive. He's worked with some great quarterbacks. He knows how to get the best out of his players, and I really learned that the day I went to Penn State for a visit. He does a great job of explaining different techniques. What made you want to enroll at IMG? We know you came to the United States to maximize your potential, but why did you decide to go to IMG? Coach Weinke played a big part. Being able to be coached by a former Heisman Trophy winner – someone who played in the NFL – that played a big part. He's a true quarterback guru. Also, IMG is basically becoming a sports factory. Don't get me wrong; we take our academics very seriously. I work on school just as much as football, but IMG is run like a college program. And I felt like going there would help me prepare for when I do get up to Penn State. I don't think it'll be such a drastic change now that I'm at a place like IMG. Strengths and weaknesses. What are some of your assets? And are there a few things you want to improve on between now and your senior season? My biggest strength is that I'm a leader. I feel really strongly about making sure I have control of the huddle, making sure that I'm the guy the rest of the offense goes to for advice on a certain play or whatever. That's one of the most important things a quarterback can do, so I feel really strongly about that. I feel like I'm also pretty athletic. I'm a pro-style quarterback. I won't deny that, but I can move and make plays out of the pocket. I'm not RGIII or anything like that. You won't see me making 80-yard runs down the sideline, but I can scramble to make plays. I can throw on the run, and I have good enough vision that I feel like I can determine early on when I need to tuck it and run. As for any weaknesses, I sometimes tend to lock my front leg when I release the ball. Sometimes if you see me make a few rough throws, that's usually why. I'm really working on that this summer. What's your training schedule this summer? I like to throw as much as possible,

• Cover