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The Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the most successful college football programs in the history of the sport. With two National Championship titles in the 80s and over 900 all-time wins, the Nittany Lions rank eighth on the all-time wins record list. They’ve been undefeated in 13 seasons, won four Big 10 Conference Championships and played in over 50 bowl games.

Let's look at the quarterbacks that helped build one of the most successful college football programs of all time.

Penn State Quarterbacks History

The Nittany Lions' reputation is based around a historic run of excellent running backs and talented linebackers. Penn State is not a school known for the quarterback position, but that’s not to say they haven’t had some successful players come through the program.

Penn State have six players contributing over 5,000 passing yards during their tenure as the starting quarterback, and we’ll look at how their journeys unfolded after graduating and leaving the team.

Current NFL Players from Penn State

At the kick off of the 2022 NFL season, there were 44 former Penn State Nittany Lions on active NFL rosters. Some of those include all time great Penn State players like Saquon Barkley, who was drafted second overall by the New York Giants in 2018.

The list also includes budding Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons, Tampa Bay receiver Chris Godwin, Packers safety Adrian Amos and Eagles running back Miles Sanders.

Chicago Bears rookie safety Jaquan Brisker was one of the best talents Penn State produced in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he’s playing at a high level in the Bears secondary already, receiving high praise in the media.

Ranking the 10 Best Penn State Quarterbacks of All Time

Let’s take a look at the Penn State quarterbacks that lead the program in passing yards and touchdowns, assisting the school in becoming one of the best programs in the history of college football. These are the Penn State Nittany Lions top 10 quarterbacks of all time.

10. Tony Sacca (1988-1991)

Hometown - Delran Township, New Jersey

Tony Sacca started for the Nittany Lions for four seasons between 1988 and 1991. In that time he threw 41 touchdowns, 21 of which came in his fourth and final season. Sacca had a career year before declaring for the NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Phoenix Cardinals in the second round.

Sacca spent two seasons with the Cardinals before making a move to the Barcelona Dragons in Spain, where he spent another two years.

9. John Shaffer (1983-1986)

Hometown - Cincinnati, Ohio

John Shaffer has an interesting story. He was no superstar at Penn State, but helped the team to a National title in 1986, and earned himself a ring.

That game in 1986 was an extremely bizarre game of football. The National title game featured Penn State and the Miami Hurricanes, who gained 445 yards during the game to Penn States 162, yet the Nittany Lions came away with the win.

Shaffer was an average talent who wasn’t expected to do too much in the NFL, but did enough to earn himself a longshot and went to training camp for the Dallas Cowboys.

Shaffer had graduated with a degree in finance, and with a job offer waiting for him on Wall Street, he asked the Dallas Cowboys to cut him. Shaffer went on to pursue his career in finance and now lives a very comfortable lifestyle in a beautiful house in New Jersey.

8. Matt McGloin (2009-2012)

Hometown - Scranton, Pennsylvania

Matt McGloin set a new school record at Penn State with 46 passing touchdowns in his four-year tenure, after joining the team as a walk on in 2009.

He was the third-string quarterback going into the 2010 season but saw game time due to an illness to Penn State's then starter, and the backup then getting a concussion. He started again the following week, and was named the starter two weeks later.

McGloin earned the Burlsworth Trophy in 2012, an award presented to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk on.

He threw 24 touchdowns in his senior season, rushing for another five, and entered the NFL Draft as one of the lower ranked prospects with potential upside. He went undrafted, but was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent. He went on to spend six seasons in the NFL, starting seven games. He is now an analyst for the Big Ten Network.

7. John Hufnagel (1970-1972)

Hometown - Corapolis, Pennsylvania

John Hufnagel was an All-American during his tenure as the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions. He was the starting quarterback alongside running back Franco Harris, and led the team to a Cotton Bowl victory over the Texas Longhorns in 1972.

In his 1972 season, Hufnagel became the first Nittany Lions quarterback to pass for over 2,000 yards in a single season, and was named a Heisman Trophy candidate.

He went on to spend three seasons with the Denver Broncos before moving to the Canadian Football League, where he’d play for another 12 years. He went on to a career in coaching, serving in numerous roles including four NFL coaching positions as a quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots, before taking over as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

In 2008 he would take over as the Head Coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, where he coached for eight seasons. He is now the president and general manager of the franchise.

6. Chuck Fusina (1975-1978)

Hometown - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Chuck Fusina saw plenty of success during his four-year tenure with the Nittany Lions. Fusina spent three years as the starter for Penn State in the 70s, throwing 35 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.

Fusina rounded out his career at Penn State by winning the Maxwell Award in 1978, and receiving consensus All-American honors that year. He had driven Penn State to an 11-0 record and led them to the National Championship game against Alabama, where they unfortunately fell short. He was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy that year, and left Penn State as the schools passing yardage leader, a record that was broken by Tony Sacca.

Fusina was drafted in the fifth round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would feature in just seven games before leaving to join the USFL, where he found his success. Fusina had over 10,000 passing yards in his three seasons with the Baltimore Stars. He was the Sporting News Player of the Year in 1984, and was named the MVP of the 1984 championship game.

5. Daryll Clark (2006-2009)

Hometown - Youngstown, Ohio

Daryll Clark was a three-star recruit coming out of high school who chose to go to Penn State over Iowa, Nebraska and West Virginia. He was a dual-threat quarterback prospect who arrived at Penn State with a lot of upside.

Clark spent his first two seasons seeing minimal game time but was named the starter in his third season in 2008. His mobility allowed Penn State's offense to flourish in the spread formation, with Clark at the helm.

Daryll Clark played two seasons as the starter and reset the record books when he graduated in 2009. Clark became Penn State's passing touchdown leader, as well as the school's single season passing yards leader and the single season passing touchdowns leader. He won 22 games and lost just four as the teams starting quarterback.

4. Michael Robinson (2002-2005)

Hometown - Richmond, Virginia

Michael Robinson was a unique talent at Penn State. Not only did he play quarterback, but played and started multiple games as a running back, full back or slot receiver.

It was in the 2005 season that Robinson saw his greatest success with the Nittany Lions, throwing for 2,350 yards and 17 touchdowns. He rushed for another 806 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, leading Penn State to Big Ten Championship and a place in the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Florida State Seminoles in triple overtime.

Robinson’s 806 rushing yards that year set a school record for quarterbacks, and he became the first quarterback in Penn State history to rush for at least 10 touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the Heisman Trophy rankings and was a semi-finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, presented to the nations top passer.

Robinson was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, who immediately converted him into a full time running back. He spent three seasons there before he was released, signing with the Seattle Seahawks.

It was with the Seahawks that Robinson would play in and win a Super Bowl, which turned out to be his final game. Robinson retired after the game ended as a Super Bowl champion.

3. Todd Blackledge (1980-1982)

Hometown - Canton, Ohio

Todd Blackledge was a three-year starter at Penn State, and led the Nittany Lions to their 1982 National Championship title. Penn State defeated the Georgia Bulldogs featuring all-time great running back Herschel Walker. They won the game and Blackledge was named the MVP.

Blackledge won the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s best quarterback that year, and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He finished his career with the Nittany Lions having won 31 of 36 games and thrown 41 touchdowns.

The former Penn State quarterback was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the seventh overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, ahead of none other than Dan Marino. He spent four seasons with the Chiefs before spending another two with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Blackledge found a successful career in his post-playing days as a broadcaster, and calls college football games on Sundays. He spent two seasons on Monday Night Football in the NFL too.

2. Kerry Collins (1991-1994)

Hometown - Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Kerry Collins is one of the most decorated Penn State quarterbacks in the history of the program. During his senior season in 1994, Collins was recognized as a consensus First-Team All American, with first team honors from the Associated Press and The Sporting News, and various other platforms and networks.

He won both the Maxwell and the Davey O’Brien awards, presented to the nation's most outstanding player, and greatest quarterback, respectively. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and broke records across the board at Penn State.

He broke season records for total offense, completions, passing yards, completion percentage, yards per attempt and passing efficiency. He very nearly broke the NCAA record for passing efficiency too, coming up just eight points short.

Collins was drafted with the fifth pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He was their first-ever draft pick, as 1995 was their first season in operation.

He spent three seasons with the Panthers, helping them advance to the NFC Championship game in 1996. His career was up and down, and in his third season he threw 11 touchdowns to 21 interceptions. He was released the following season after a conversation with head coach Dom Capers in which he told his head coach his heart wasn’t in it and he felt he ‘couldn’t play right now.’

Collins moved on and after a short spell with the New Orleans Saints found success with the New York Giants, where he holds multiple records including most passing touchdowns in a playoff game (5), and is tied for the most 300+ yard passing games in a season (2) with Eli Manning.

He was a two-time Pro Bowler who spent 17 seasons in the NFL with the Panthers, Saints, Giants, Titans, Raiders and Colts.

1. Trace McSorley (2015-2018)

Hometown - Ashburn, Virginia

Trace McSorley was a three-star high school recruit when he arrived at Penn State, but what followed was the greatest career by any Penn State QB in the schools history.

McSorley was a three-year starter, starting 40 games for the Nittany Lions from 2016-2018. He threw 77 career touchdowns to 25 interceptions, and ended just shy of 10,000 passing yards with 9,899. He added another 1,697 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns, giving him a grand total of 107 total touchdowns as the school’s quarterback.

He holds the records at Penn State for the most single-season passing yards (3,360), most single-season total yards (3,979), the most single-season passing touchdowns (29), the most single-season 300-yard passing games (5), the most consecutive games with a passing touchdown (27), and the most total offensive yards in a game (461).

McSorley led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten Championship title in 2016 and was named on multiple Heisman ballots behind the eventual winner Lamar Jackson.

The Penn State star would graduate post 2018 season and head to the NFL Draft, where he was drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens. McSorley spent two seasons there before signing with the Arizona Cardinals. He is yet to start an NFL game but has thrown one NFL touchdown to Marquise Brown during his tenure with the Ravens. The two are now team mates once again in Arizona.

Parameters for Rankings

These Penn State quarterbacks have been ranked based on their success during their tenure with the Nittany Lions. Their career achievements post-graduation have not been factored into the rankings. Awards such as the Davey O’Brien, Maxwell and Heisman voting have all been taken into consideration, as well as titles and championships won with the team.