#9Trace McSorley
Trace McSorley is a 2-year Dual-Threat QB for Penn State. Trace's 2017 season ranks in the 65th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 555 plays — a average rate for the QB.
2017 Production
Performance Analysis · 2017 · vs QB peers
A genuine rushing threat who stresses defenses horizontally. Extends plays with legs and forces extra gap assignments.
- ▸High-volume role — one of the team's most-used QBs by play share.
- ▸High game-to-game consistency — reliable floor each week.
- ▸5 high-impact games (EPA/play > 0.4) this season — elite ceiling.
- ▸Particularly dangerous on passing downs — efficiency spikes in obvious pass situations.
- ▸Peak game: 1.09 EPA/play in Wk 3 vs Georgia State (SP+ -14).
Historical Comparables · QB · efficiency + volume + value
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Higgins | Louisiana Tech | 2016 | 571 | 0.586 | 13.7 | 334.6 |
| Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma | 2015 | 577 | 0.561 | 14.1 | 323.7 |
| J.T. Barrett | Ohio State | 2017 | 576 | 0.593 | 14.1 | 341.6 |
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | 2022 | 509 | 0.635 | 12.4 | 323.0 |
| Kyle McCord | Syracuse | 2024 | 632 | 0.509 | 12.1 | 321.4 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
Game Log · box score + EPA, week by week
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | C/ATT | Pass Yds | Pass TD | INT | QBR | Rush Yds | Rush TD | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsAkron | W52-0 | -17.6 | 18/25 | 280 | 2 | 1 | 82.8 | 48 | 1 | 0.50 |
| 2 | vsPittsburgh | W33-14 | 6.0 | 15/28 | 164 | 3 | 1 | 70.4 | 65 | 0 | 0.18 |
| 3 | vsGeorgia State | W56-0 | -14.0 | 18/23 | 309 | 4 | 0 | 98.7 | 24 | 1 | 1.09 |
| 4 | @Iowa | W21-19 | 9.8 | 31/48 | 284 | 1 | 1 | 34.6 | 61 | 0 | 0.06 |
| 5 | vsIndiana | W45-14 | 10.2 | 23/36 | 315 | 2 | 1 | 41.1 | -19 | 1 | 0.09 |
| 6 | @Northwestern | W31-7 | 11.2 | 25/34 | 245 | 1 | 0 | 62.9 | -1 | 1 | 0.15 |
| 8 | vsMichigan | W42-13 | 19.6 | 17/26 | 282 | 1 | 1 | 83.4 | 76 | 3 | 0.54 |
| 9 | @Ohio State | L38-39 | 30.9 | 17/29 | 192 | 2 | 0 | 77.2 | 49 | 1 | 0.33 |
| 10 | @Michigan State | L24-27 | 13.8 | 26/47 | 381 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | 0.26 |
| 11 | vsRutgers | W35-6 | -5.5 | 16/21 | 214 | 2 | 0 | 87.2 | 44 | 1 | 0.27 |
| 12 | vsNebraska | W56-44 | 2.5 | 24/36 | 325 | 3 | 0 | 91.9 | 46 | 1 | 0.64 |
| 13 | @Maryland | W66-3 | -4.5 | 22/33 | 237 | 2 | 0 | 91.1 | 36 | 1 | 0.39 |
| 1 | vsWashington | W35-28 | 22.1 | 32/41 | 342 | 2 | 2 | 90.4 | 60 | 0 | 0.45 |
Usage & Situational · Pro
- Standard downs
- 0.10
- Passing downs
- 0.69
- Pass / Rush EPA
- 0.35 / 0.23
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Career · rolling EPA, game by game
| 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.