Trace McSorley is a 2-year Clutch Passer for Penn State. Trace's 2016 season ranks in the 53th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 509 plays — a average rate for the QB.
Elevates on passing downs — 3rd-and-medium, two-minute drills, and pressure situations are where this QB is best.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | 2022 | 509 | 0.635 | 12.4 | 323.0 |
| Ryan Higgins | Louisiana Tech | 2016 | 571 | 0.586 | 13.7 | 334.6 |
| Tanner Mordecai | SMU | 2021 | 510 | 0.630 | 14.0 | 321.5 |
| Kyle McCord | Syracuse | 2024 | 632 | 0.509 | 12.1 | 321.4 |
| Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma | 2015 | 577 | 0.561 | 14.1 | 323.7 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | C/ATT | Pass Yds | Pass TD | INT | QBR | Rush Yds | Rush TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsKent State | W33-13 | -12.0 | 16/31 | 209 | 2 | 0 | 37.2 | 47 | 0 | 0.18 |
| 2 | @Pittsburgh | L39-42 | 13.1 | 24/35 | 332 | 1 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
| Season | Team | Line value | WEPA/play | YoY Δ | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Penn State | 11.2 | 0.524 | — | 301.2 |
| 2017 | Penn State | 12.7 | 0.513 | -0.01 | 321.0 |
Chart shows per-game EPA (bars) and rolling 5-game average (line). Season breaks marked with dashed lines. Line value = est. points over replacement per game.
C/ATT 18/29 · Pass Yds 254 · Pass TD 4 · INT 3
| 1 |
| 50.0 |
| -17 |
| 0 |
| 0.16 |
| 3 | vsTemple | W34-27 | 11.9 | 18/24 | 287 | 1 | 1 | 69.1 | 8 | 1 | 0.42 |
| 4 | @Michigan | L10-49 | 24.4 | 16/27 | 121 | 1 | 1 | 10.0 | -6 | 0 | 0.03 |
| 5 | vsMinnesota | W29-26 | 12.6 | 19/41 | 335 | 1 | 0 | 73.7 | 73 | 1 | 0.41 |
| 6 | vsMaryland | W38-14 | -0.6 | 10/19 | 152 | 2 | 0 | 74.8 | 81 | 1 | 0.41 |
| 8 | vsOhio State | W24-21 | 22.4 | 8/23 | 154 | 1 | 0 | 30.9 | 63 | 1 | 0.04 |
| 9 | @Purdue | W62-24 | -11.0 | 12/23 | 228 | 3 | 0 | 69.8 | 2 | 0 | 0.47 |
| 10 | vsIowa | W41-14 | 10.3 | 11/18 | 240 | 2 | 0 | 79.3 | 40 | 1 | 0.38 |
| 11 | @Indiana | W45-31 | 4.6 | 16/30 | 332 | 2 | 2 | 84.7 | 13 | 1 | 0.55 |
| 12 | @Rutgers | W39-0 | -14.9 | 17/33 | 210 | 1 | 0 | 38.4 | 55 | 0 | 0.06 |
| 13 | vsMichigan State | W45-12 | 7.4 | 17/23 | 376 | 4 | 0 | 93.4 | 13 | 0 | 0.79 |
| 14 | vsWisconsin | W38-31 | 16.1 | 22/31 | 384 | 4 | 0 | 93.7 | -20 | 0 | 0.63 |
| 1 | vsUSC | L49-52 | 23.6 | 18/29 | 254 | 4 | 3 | 65.1 | 13 | 1 | 0.63 |