_(cropped).jpg) McSorley in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| Penn State Nittany Lions | |||||||||||||||||
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| Title | Assistant quarterbacks coach | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1995-08-23)August 23, 1995 (age 30) Ashburn, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 201 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Briar Woods (Ashburn) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | Penn State (2014–2018) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: 6th round, 197th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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Richard Thomas "Trace"McSorley III (born August 23, 1995) is an Americanfootball coach and former professional footballquarterback. He is currently the assistant quarterback coach for thePenn State Nittany Lions. He playedcollege football forPenn State, where he holds school records in single-season passing yards,touchdowns, and careertotal yards. McSorley was drafted by theBaltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the2019 NFL draft.
McSorley attendedBriar Woods High School inAshburn, Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He playedhigh school football and started as afreshman. In his freshman year, he led the team to a 13–2 record and a state championship. Two seasons later in his junior year, he led the team to a 15–0 record and its third consecutive state title.[1] He was named First-team All-State by the Virginia Coaches Association and Virginia Preps. As a junior, he was awarded All-Dulles District First Team; Dulles District Offensive Player of the Year; and Second-team All-Regionquarterback.
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trace McSorley QB | Ashburn, VA | Briar Woods HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 4.53 | Jan 20, 2014 |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: (79) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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During McSorley'sredshirt freshman year, he appeared in a total of six games, five of them when the game was in hand and McSorley was only in for a few plays.[2] In the 2016TaxSlayer Bowl against theGeorgia Bulldogs, after starterChristian Hackenberg went out with an injury, McSorley was brought in with Penn State down 24–3. He nearly led a comeback, finishing the game 14 for 27 with 142 yards and two touchdowns, but Penn State fell short 24–17.[3][4]
With the early departure of quarterbackChristian Hackenberg, who was drafted in the2016 NFL draft by theNew York Jets, McSorley andredshirtfreshmanTommy Stevens competed for the job. On McSorley's birthday, August 23, 2016,head coachJames Franklin announced that McSorley would be the starter. In his first start on September 3, against theKent State Golden Flashes, he went 16 of 31 for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 33–13 win.[5] In McSorley's second game, he threw for 332 yards and a score in the loss atPitt.[6] Later in the season when the Nittany Lions playedMinnesota, McSorley put up career high yardage numbers when he threw for 335 yards in a 29–26 OT win.[7]
On October 22, 2016, Penn State and McSorley playedBig TenrivalOhio State. McSorley struggled with accurately throwing the ball, completing 8 of 23 passes for 153 yards. However, he scored two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing, en route to a stunning upset of #2 Ohio State by unranked Penn State.[8] The win gave PSU a #24 ranking in theAP Poll, PSU's first ranking in the top 25 since the2011 season.[9] The next week atPurdue, McSorley completed 12 of 23 passing for 228 yards, three touchdowns, and nointerceptions.[10] The Nittany Lions won in a 62–24 rout and cemented their place in the AP Top-25 with a #20 ranking.[11]
On November 1, 2016, Penn State was named #12 in the first officialCollege Football Playoff rankings of the season.[12]
On November 26, against rivalMichigan State, McSorley threw for a career-high 376 yards, fourtouchdowns and no interceptions. He went 17 of 23 with a completion percentage of 73%, and led Penn State to the 45–12 win, earning a berth to theBig Ten Championship game againstWisconsin.[13][14] On November 30, 2016, McSorley was named Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.[15] With a third quarter completion toDaeSean Hamilton, McSorley broke the Penn State single-season record for passing yards. The sophomore started the night fourth on the single-season list, but passedChristian Hackenberg,Daryll Clark andMatt McGloin’s to retain the top spot.McSorley finished the game with 384 yards, 22 of 31 passing, and four touchdowns in an MVP,Big Ten Championship winning performance.[16]
"Trace has been dynamic all year long," head coach James Franklin said after the game. "I'm really proud of him, you know, his attitude, his demeanor, the type of teammate he is, the type of leader he is. Obviously he made plays tonight."[citation needed]
McSorley led the Nittany Lions back from a 28–7 deficit and broke the Big Ten Championship Game record for passing yards, set by Michigan State’sConnor Cook back in 2013, and touchdowns. His 364 total yards was also a championship game record.[17]
On December 5, 2016, it was revealed that McSorley was on multipleHeisman ballots, some even as high as two, just behind Louisville quarterbackLamar Jackson. McSorley became the first Nittany Lion to be on a Heisman ballot in over ten years.[18]
After the Big Ten Championship game, McSorley ranked third inFBS in passing yard on throws over 20 yards with 1,491.
In the2017 Rose Bowl, McSorley went 18 for 29 with 254 yards and four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 13 yards in a 49–52 loss to theUSC Trojans.[19]
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McSorley and the Nittany Lions entered the 2017 season ranked sixth by theAP Poll.[20] In the Nittany Lions’ season opener McSorley passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns in a 52–0 rout overAkron.[21] He helped lead the team to a remarkable 7–0 start (with a 3–0 mark in conference play), outscoring opponents by a combined 213 points over that span. Through the first seven games McSorley had passed for 1,879 yards and thrown 14 touchdown passes.[22]
Bolstered by that strong start, the Lions were ranked #2 in the country coming into a rivalry match at #6Ohio State. In the primetime matchup[citation needed], McSorley threw for 192 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also rushed for 49 yards and another touchdown. However, a 19-point fourth quarter by the Buckeyes propelled them to a 39–38 comeback win, ending a potential perfect season for the Nittany Lions.[23]
The next week against theMichigan State Spartans, McSorley threw for a season-high 381 yards and three touchdowns. However, after a 3 and a half hour delay due to weather the Nittany Lions were upset by the Spartans on a game winning field goal 27–24.[24] The Nittany Lions and McSorley responded to the two-game losing streak however. The team finished the regular season 3–0 and McSorley threw for 776 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions in his final three contests.[25]
The 10–2 Nittany Lions faced the 10–2Washington Huskies in the2017 Fiesta Bowl. McSorley struggled early and threw two interceptions in the first quarter however he finished the game 342 yards and two touchdown passes and also rushed for 60 yards. McSorley was named offensive MVP for the Nittany Lions.[26]
After the season, it was speculated whether McSorley would declare for the2018 NFL draft. After the bowl game, McSorley announced he was returning to Penn State for his senior season.[27]
McSorley helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 4–0 start. In that stretch was a game againstKent State, where he passed for two touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns.[28] In the next game, a 27–26 loss toOhio State, he had 286 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and 25 carries for 175 rushing yards.[29][30] After a loss toMichigan State in the next game, he had 220 passing yards, 107 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in a victory overIndiana.[31][32] After a victory overIowa and a loss toMichigan, he helped lead the Nittany Lions to three consecutive wins overWisconsin,Rutgers, andMaryland to close out the regular season.[33][34][35][36][37] The Nittany Lions qualified for theCitrus Bowl, where they lost 27–24 toKentucky.[38] McSorley finished his final season with 2,530 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go with 798 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.[39]
| Penn State Nittany Lions | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | — | Redshirted | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | — | 20 | 40 | 50.0 | 185 | 9.3 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 105.4 | 13 | 43 | 3.3 | 14 | 0 |
| 2016 | 14 | 14 | 11–3 | 224 | 387 | 57.9 | 3,614 | 16.1 | 80 | 30 | 8 | 156.6 | 146 | 365 | 2.5 | 26 | 7 |
| 2017 | 13 | 13 | 11–2 | 284 | 427 | 66.5 | 3,570 | 12.6 | 85 | 28 | 10 | 162.4 | 144 | 491 | 3.4 | 36 | 11 |
| 2018 | 13 | 13 | 9–4 | 192 | 361 | 53.2 | 2,530 | 13.2 | 93 | 18 | 7 | 124.6 | 170 | 798 | 4.7 | 51 | 12 |
| Career | 46 | 40 | 31–9 | 720 | 1,215 | 59.3 | 9,899 | 13.7 | 93 | 77 | 25 | 144.5 | 473 | 1,697 | 3.6 | 51 | 30 |
McSorley was automatically eligible for the2019 NFL draft as he was a graduating senior.
At theNFL Scouting Combine, McSorley posted a quarterback-best 4.57-second40-yard dash, a vertical jump of 33 inches, as well as a 115-inch broad jump. NFL insiderAdam Schefter reported that some teams asked McSorley to perform workouts with defensive backs, which he declined.[45]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄8 in (1.83 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.57 s | 1.62 s | 2.68 s | 4.12 s | 7.09 s | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) | 31 | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[46][47] | ||||||||||||
McSorley was drafted by theBaltimore Ravens in the sixth round with the 197th overall pick in the2019 NFL draft.[48][49]
McSorley was the third-string quarterback behindLamar Jackson andRobert Griffin III and made his debut in Week 17 of the 2019 season against thePittsburgh Steelers. His sole snap was a quarterback draw which went for one yard. The Ravens won 28–10.[50]
McSorley remained the third-string quarterback heading into the2020 season. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 20, 2020,[51] and activated on December 1.[52] On December 2, 2020, McSorley came in during the fourth quarter of a rare Wednesday afternoon game against the Steelers after backup Griffin left the game with a hamstring injury.[53] McSorley completed two out of six attempts for 77 yards and his first career touchdown, which was a 70-yard pass toMarquise Brown.[54] He also carried the ball three times for 16 yards, including a seven-yard run for a fourth-down conversion. However, the Ravens lost 19–14.[55] McSorley played two games later against theCleveland Browns when starting quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered cramps and was pulled from the game in the third quarter. McSorley completed one of four passes for 13 yards and rushed twice for one yard. However, he suffered a left knee sprain on a quarterback draw and had to be pulled from the game in favor of a recovered Jackson.[56] The Ravens came back and won the game 47–42.[57] McSorley was placed on injured reserve the following day, causing him to miss the remainder of the regular season.[58]
On August 31, 2021, McSorley was waived by the Ravens; however, he was re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[59][60] On November 20, 2021, McSorley was activated to the Ravens' active roster, as Jackson was unable to play due to an illness, and backup quarterbackTyler Huntley had to act as the starter.[61]
On November 22, 2021, McSorley was signed off the Ravens practice squad by theArizona Cardinals.[62]
On August 30, 2022, McSorley was waived by the Cardinals and signed to the practice squad the next day.[63][64] On September 7, he was promoted to the active roster.[65] On December 21, after starterKyler Murray tore his ACL in Week 14 and backupColt McCoy suffered a head injury against theDenver Broncos in Week 15, McSorley was named the starter for the Cardinals in Week 16 matchup against theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[66] Passing 24-for-45 with one interception, McSorley netted 217 yards in the Cardinals' 19-16 loss in overtime.[67] Prior to the Week 17 match-up against theAtlanta Falcons he was benched in favor ofDavid Blough.[68]
On April 13, 2023, McSorley signed a one-year deal with theNew England Patriots.[69] He was released by New England on August 28.[70]
On October 17, 2023, theChicago Bears signed McSorley to their practice squad.[71] He was released on November 21.[72]
On December 4, 2023, thePittsburgh Steelers signed McSorley to their practice squad.[73] He was released on January 10, 2024.[74]
On August 14, 2024, McSorley signed with theWashington Commanders.[75] He was released by the Commanders on August 27.[76]
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2019 | BAL | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | BAL | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 10 | 30.0 | 90 | 9.0 | 1 | 0 | 97.9 | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | ARI | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||
| 2022 | ARI | 6 | 1 | 0–1 | 45 | 83 | 54.2 | 412 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 42.8 | 15 | 61 | 4.1 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 2 |
| Career | 9 | 1 | 0–1 | 48 | 93 | 51.6 | 502 | 5.4 | 1 | 5 | 48.8 | 21 | 79 | 3.8 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 2 | |
On February 26, 2025, it was announced thatPennsylvania State University had hired McSorley as an assistant quarterback coach on head coachJames Franklin's staff.[77]
Trace is the son of Rick and Andrea McSorley, and he has one younger sister, Micaela. His father played football at theUniversity of Richmond and an uncle, Jeff McSorley, played football atMarshall University. He enjoys playing organized and pick-up sports and video games. McSorley graduated from Penn State in May 2018 with a degree in accounting and is working on a second degree in journalism.[78] In October 2020, McSorley was the subject of a viral trend on the appTikTok.[79][80] The song featured in the video,Trace McSorley by Matty Fresh, was originally uploaded in August 2018.[81]
McSorley is aChristian.[82] McSorley has atattoo on his leftbiceps consisting of a cross with theBible verses Philippians 4:13 and Psalms 23:4. He has said that the message behind the tattoo is "always pulling me in the right direction" and keeps him grounded and true to his roots.[82]
He married Kasey Morano, his longtime girlfriend whom he met at Penn State, on March 25, 2023, in Philadelphia.[83]
