Former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg is doing his stock no favors as he prepares for April’s NFL draft.
According to a report by MMQB, Hackenberg blamed the decline in his production from his freshman year to his junior year on coaching.
As a freshman, Hackenberg played under coach Bill O’Brien, who is now the head coach of the Houston Texans. That year, Hackenberg threw for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns (also 10 interceptions) and was considered one of the top up-and-coming quarterbacks in college football.
However, when O’Brien left for the NFL, things changed. While Hackenberg’s yardage was similar as a sophomore, he threw 15 interceptions compared to just 12 touchdowns. He flipped those numbers this past season with 16 touchdowns and just six interceptions, but he threw for 2,525 yards and completed a paltry 53.5 percent of his passes, which were the lowest numbers of his career.
Instead of Hackenberg taking responsibility for his production struggles, MMQB’s Robert Klemko reported Hackenberg’s been laying that blame at the feet of Penn State coach James Franklin.
Per two personnel sources on two separate teams who have shown interest in drafting Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg, the quarterback has said all the wrong things in interviews when asked to explain his declining sophomore and junior numbers (a combined 28 touchdowns and 21 interceptions). Hackenberg has shifted blame to coach James Franklin, who took over in 2014 when coach Bill O’Brien departed for the Texans. Said one evaluator: “Despite the fact that it’s probably true, you don’t want to hear a kid say that.”
Klemko’s report confirmed what Yahoo’s Eric Edholm reported at the beginning of the month when an NFL scout told him that Hackenberg was making excuses for his bad play.
Hackenberg has a lot of potential, but his attitude might make some teams steer clear. The quarterback is supposed to be the leader of the team and if Hackenberg is really deflecting responsibility for poor play onto other people, it’s going to be difficult for him to win over a locker room.
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