5-Star Advice: Christian Hackenberg
From the book "5-star QB", Q&A with the former Penn State QB tasked as the Nittany Lions starter as a true freshman in 2013
There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.
In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.
Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.
This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Penn State signal caller Christian Hackenberg. In the aftermath of a tumultuous scandal, Penn State’s 2013 recruiting class marked an unofficial turning of the page with the Hackenberg, the #1 QB in that class, as the focal point. The Fork Union, Virginia native started all 13 games in his first season, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In his 3 seasons in Happy Valley, Hackenberg re-wrote the school’s record book, leaving as the all-time leader in passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns. A 2nd round pick of the New York Jets in the 2016 NFL Draft, he was on NFL rosters for 3 seasons but did not see any game action. In his post playing career, he’s now re-united with his former college teammate Adam Breneman with The College Sports Company where Hackenberg is the Director, State Media & Athlete Relations.
From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….
When did you get your first scholarship offer?
University of Virginia. I was the back-yard kid and it came after my first season starting on varsity, which was my sophomore year.
What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?
Almost every school that I wanted to offer me. I don’t think I was rated really really high until after I was already committed.