Former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, once considered a top-five NFL Draft pick, saw his stock tumble after difficult seasons under Nittany Lion head coach James Franklin.
It's no secret that Hack and Franklin weren't exactly buddies – you'll recall the quarterback thanking everyone at Penn State, from trainers and video directors, except Franklin when he declared for the NFL draft in January – but MMQB has the latest in the cold war between the player and coach and it isn't pretty:
Per two personnel sources on two separate teams who have shown interest in drafting Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg, the quarterback has said all the wrong things in interviews when asked to explain his declining sophomore and junior numbers (a combined 28 touchdowns and 21 interceptions). Hackenberg has shifted blame to coach James Franklin, who took over in 2014 when coach Bill O’Brien departed for the Texans. Said one evaluator: “Despite the fact that it’s probably true, you don’t want to hear a kid say that.”
Ouch. Let's check in on James Franklin:
Our head Coach is also an oversized flying bunny... How about yours? Confirmed: this is James Franklin #PSUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/DuRpfToueG
— PJ Mullen (@psuPJ) March 26, 2016
Here's to State College being in disarray for generations to come.
