Blue White Illustrated

f things had gone the way they seemed likely to go back in the fall of 2014, Tommy Stevens would be com- peting this spring for the starting quarterback job at Indiana. He would be battling sophomore Danny Cameron and juco transfer Richard Lagow for the chance to lead the Hoosiers' o8ense against a slew of powerhouse Big Ten East Division opponents, a slate that in No- vember will include Penn State. That, obviously, is not happening. Stevens is competing for a starting job, and he could see the 7eld in Bloomington this fall. But if he does, it will be for the visiting Nittany Lions. With spring drills nearing their completion in University Park, the redshirt freshman is in a 7erce battle with redshirt sophomore Trace Mc- Sorley for the Lions' starting QB job. Stevens is an interesting prospect who could give Penn State a dimension it has lacked in recent years. Although he looks like a prototypical drop-back passer at 6- foot-4, 219 pounds, he was a dual-threat quarterback at Decatur Central High in Indianapolis, averaging 77 rushing yards per game as a senior to go along with 172 passing yards. If you watch his high school 7lm, you'll see a quarterback who is sur- prisingly slippery for his size. His skill set appears to mesh quite well with the of- fense that new coordinator Joe Moorhead has been implementing since his arrival in December – so well, in fact, that coach James Franklin noted halfway through spring ball that Stevens and the (slightly) more experienced McSorley were locked in a statistical dead heat. "Trace and Tommy's numbers have been really competitive: completion percent- age, touchdown-interception ratio, mov- ing the ball down the 7eld. They've done a nice job," Franklin said. "And they both have movement, which has helped. I know it's caused the defense some headaches." Giving opposing defenses headaches was not exactly a Penn State specialty the past two seasons, but change is under way, and the team's young quarterbacks are at the forefront. Stevens and McSorley, along with freshman Jake Zembiec, will have the eyes of Nittany Nation upon them when they face o8 April 16 in the Blue-White Game. Theirs is the marquee battle of the DUEL THREAT Tommy Stevens challenges Trace McSorley in this spring's marquee position battle I A CALL TO ARMS After leading the scout team as a true freshman last season, Stevens has been competing with McSorley for the Lions' vacant starting position this spring. Coach James Franklin has said their battle could continue into preseason drills in August. Photo by Steve Manuel

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