Another highly regarded underclassman quarterback is headed to the NFL.
After Penn State fell to Georgia Saturday in the TaxSlayer Bowl, Nittany Lions junior Christian Hackenberg told reporters that he will forgo his senior season and declare for the 2016 NFL draft.
Hackenberg left Saturday’s game in the second quarter after a hard fall on his throwing shoulder.
PSU head coach James Franklin said after the game that Hackenberg’s x-rays were negative, so the injury does not appear to be serious. Franklin characterized the injury as a “sprained shoulder joint.”
Hackenberg has started all three of his seasons at Penn State with varying results.
Hackenberg, who remained committed to Penn State amid the turbulent Jerry Sandusky scandal and subsequent NCAA sanctions, flourished as a true freshman in 2013 under Bill O’Brien, throwing for 2,955 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 inteceptions en route to Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
O’Brien left after the season for the Houston Texans and Penn State hired James Franklin from Vanderbilt. Hackenberg then took a step back as a sophomore, throwing for 2,977 yards, 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while playing behind a decimated offensive line. That line, which featured two converted defensive linemen as starting guards, allowed 43 sacks.
The protection wasn’t much better this season (allowing 39 sacks), but Hackenberg cut down on the turnovers, throwing only six interceptions on the year. Including the bowl game, Hackenberg finished with 2,525 yards and 16 touchdowns, but completed only 53.4 percent of his passes.
At 6-foot-4 and 228 pounds, Hackenberg has all of the measurables, but has been inconsistent with his accuracy and footwork. How much of that came from the constant pressure in his face is hard to gauge, but he seems like a prospect that will excel in the combine and interview aspect of the draft process.
Hackenberg joins Cal’s Jared Goff, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch and Ohio State’s Cardale Jones as notable junior quarterbacks to enter the draft.
In other Penn State news, defensive tackle Austin Johnson also announced that he is headed to the NFL. He told reporters that he was advised that he'd be selected in the draft's first two rounds.
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Johnson makes announcement. pic.twitter.com/NTBs7hjf2A
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Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 323-pound defensive tackle, was third on the team with 78 tackles this season. He also totaled 15 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
In his first two seasons, Johnson combined for 76 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two sacks.
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