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Penn State‘s 108th-ranked offense wasn’t quite good enough for offensive coordinator John Donovan to receive another year with the Nittany Lions. The program cut ties with the coach less than 24 hours after the team’s 55-16 loss to Michigan State Saturday to close out the regular season.
Donovan has been under fire all season, and the biggest criticism against him has been the underdevelopment of junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Fans saw a glimpse of what Hackenberg can do during his freshman campaign when he played under the current head coach of the Houston Texans, Bill O’ Brien. He had his best statistical season at Penn State, completing nearly 59 percent of his passes for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns. He threw 10 interceptions, but you should expect a few mistakes out of any freshman quarterback, right?
His two recent seasons have been less prolific under Donovan and current head coach James Franklin. Last year, Hackenberg was a turnover machine, throwing 15 picks compared to just 12 touchdowns. He had a career best touchdown-to-interception ratio this season (16:5), but his passing yardage dipped to 2,386 while completing just 53.3 percent of his passes. His 2015 statistics may look decent on paper, but all you had to do was watch a game to understand just how pathetic the offense could get. The two bright spots offensively were sophomore receiver Chris Godwin and freshman tailback Saquon Barkley, who may prove to be stars in the making.
Much speculation surrounding Donovan’s removal is that bringing in another face might sway Hackenberg to remain in school for his final year of eligibility. This is ridiculous for three reasons.
First of all, I think we all suspect that Franklin is ready to move on to the next guy. Everyone loves the leadership, accountability and pure arm talent that Hackenberg brings to the field, but it’s easy to gather that Franklin’s vision for the program doesn’t match the skill set of the incumbent signal caller. Young talents like Trace McSorley or incoming freshman Jake Zembiec — while maybe not as gifted as Hackenberg — may be more adept to successfully run this offense.
Building off of the last point, it’s foolish to think that the new hire would sway Hackenberg to return because whoever is brought in will no doubt have the same offensive vision as Franklin. Do we really expect the program to hire someone simply because their offensive plan fits a quarterback who may or may not return for one more season?
Lastly, and most importantly, money has a way of making decisions for you. Based on talent alone, I expect Hackenberg will still be a high selection in the draft. Given Houston’s lack of a franchise quarterback, I don’t expect Hackenberg to fall past O’Brien if he even falls that far.
It’s a bold prediction given his struggles in recent years, but scouts and coaches will also consider the situation he’s played in at Penn State. They’ll take into account the system as well as the offensive line that’s allowed Hackenberg to be sacked 103 times in three years. Why would he put himself back into an uncertain situation, while at the same time passing up guaranteed money? I’m sure there aren’t many fans expecting Hackenberg to magically turn into a Heisman candidate next year under what I expect to be a relatively similar offense. There’s really nothing to gain by returning.
As far as the direction of the program, Donovan’s firing was the correct decision. Something had to be done. The Nittany Lions have been running an unimaginative offense and whether it’s Franklin’s mistakes or Donovan’s, someone was going to take the fall sooner or later. If nothing improves over the next year or two, Franklin will be the next to go.
Jason Shawley is a Featured Writer for RantSport.com covering Big Ten Football. Follow him on Twitter @jshawls.
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