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James Franklin names Trace McSorley as Penn State’s starting quarterback

The redshirt sophomore will make his first collegiate start against Kent State on September 3.

After three full seasons of Christian Hackenberg at the helm, Penn State fans knew they would have a new starting quarterback to scrutinize heading into the 2016 season. They just didn’t know exactly who that guy would be... until today. Following Wednesday’s practice, Penn State head coach James Franklin named Trace McSorley as his new first-string signal caller.

"It was a combination of factors. It was spring practice. It was the bowl game," Franklin said. But "it was a difficult decision.