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With star RB Barkley gone, QB McSorley poised to lead

Many people questioned at the end of last season why Penn State star running back Saquon Barkley, a projected top-five NFL draft pick later this month, was not invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

But for the second year in a row, a case could have been made that the wrong PSU player was being discussed for the Heisman.

Barkley is a sensational talent, no question, but he was not the engine that ran the Nittany Lions’ offense the past two years. That actually was quarterback Trace McSorley, who has rewritten the PSU record book in countless passing categories while leading the team to an 11-3 record and Big Ten title in 2016, then an 11-2 mark and Fiesta Bowl title last season.

With Barkley now off to the NFL, there is little doubt that this is now McSorley’s team.

He will be the primary focus of opposing defenses this fall. He will be getting all the national headlines after wins. And he will be the one, finally, getting the much-deserved Heisman hype if Penn State can put together another special year and finish in the top 10 once again.

McSorley threw for a school-record 3,614 yards in 2016 and was just barely under that last season at 3,570. His 29 TD passes in 2016 are a record, and he barely missed that one, as well, last season with 28. He did set records for completions (284), total offense (4,061 yards) and TDs responsible for (37) last season, while completing a sizzling 66.5 percent of his throws.

McSorley had to do all of that, too, for PSU to be successful because Barkley was held under 100 yards rushing in eight games by defenses designed specifically to stop him.

As Penn State gets set for the Blue-White Game on Saturday, the team faces big questions at a number of key positions. But quarterback is not one of them, not as long as McSorley stays healthy.

McSorley probably will get a lot of playing time during Saturday’s scrimmage. Not because he needs it, but because others around him — receivers, young running backs and other skill players on offense — need to have the starting quarterback playing so that they can maximize their practice work.

Coach James Franklin has shown over the years that he likes to get the starting quarterback a lot of time in the spring game. This year, that figures to be the case even more because backup quarterback Tommy Stevens is out with a foot injury, so McSorley could end up playing most or all of the scrimmage.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest things to look for during the Blue-White Game:

Sanders’ show now

Miles Sanders was one of the top running back recruits in the country, much more so than Barkley was coming out of high school, so the Lions figure to be in good hands at tailback.

Sanders has shown flashes of brilliance in limited playing time, but Saturday will be different for him. He will be the starter, and all eyes will be on him, not Barkley.

Sanders has said numerous times he’s ready for this, and Barkley has vouched for him, as well, as a special talent. It’s time to see it.

The other QBs

McSorley and Stevens are set on the depth chart, but there’s competition for the third-string quarterback job between redshirt freshman Sean Clifford and redshirt sophomore Jake Zembiec.

By most accounts, Clifford has been the more impressive of the two over the past year, but Saturday’s scrimmage will give us a chance to judge for ourselves. Then again, it’s so hard to judge a quarterback in that setting, so hearing from coach James Franklin afterward could provide more information about which one has the leg up in the competition.

Look for Clifford and Zembiec to split time with the second-team offense, with both probably getting chances to showcase their throwing and running skills.

Linebackers

Koa Farmer and Cam Brown will be starters this season, and Brown could wind up in the middle since there doesn’t seem to be another strong candidate there.

We should get to see a lot of heralded true freshman Micah Parsons, an early enrollee, which should be exciting given his enormous potential.

Expect the coaches to run a number of different guys in at the linebacker spots, with Jake Cooper and Jan Johnson in position to showcase what they can do as potential starters.

Laying it on the line

Once again this spring, we have been hearing PSU offensive linemen talking about how this year is going to be different. How the line will be a strength and not a weakness.

Can we believe them this time?

The Blue-White Game isn’t always a great barometer of what to expect, since no one is allowed to touch the quarterbacks, but it would be a good sign if the O-line can keep guys like D-tackle Kevin Givens out of the backfield.

Replacing leaders

McSorley will be the man on offense, but PSU has to replace outstanding talent in Barkley, receiver DaeSean Hamilton and tight end Mike Gesicki. Those are some big shoes to fill.

Sanders will be the running back, but will he be the kind of overall team leader that Barkley was the past few years? Juwan Johnson probably will be the No. 1 receiver, but will he be as reliable as Hamilton was last year? As for tight end, it’s highly doubtful anyone can do what Gesicki did as a pass catcher, but maybe Penn State can get better blocking out of that spot.

On defense, the Lions lose great leaders such as Jason Cabinda at linebacker and Marcus Allen at safety. Place-kicker Tyler Davis is gone from special teams.

Who will fill the voids left by all those guys, and several other departures? The Blue-White Game is a good time to start finding out.

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