Penn State's Hackenberg will enter NFL draft

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - When it came to being loyal to Penn State, few football players who have passed through Happy Valley showed that quality more than quarterback Christian Hackenberg. It was that loyalty that had Nittany Lions fans hoping he would return for his senior year.

But in the end, after 38 consecutive starts, two offensive systems, countless hits, and opinions over whether he regressed after a great freshman year, Hackenberg did what most people expected.

He said he will declare for the NFL draft, announcing the decision Saturday after the Lions' 24-17 loss to Georgia in the TaxSlayer Bowl, a game that Hackenberg left for good early in the second quarter with a sprained right (throwing) shoulder.

Also after the game, redshirt junior defensive tackle Austin Johnson, who starred at St. Augustine Prep, said he would come out for the draft.

Hackenberg leaves the Nittany Lions as their all-time leader in passing yards (8,457) and touchdowns (48). He also was durable, having endured 82 sacks the last two seasons and playing hurt, as he did Saturday when he threw four passes in obvious pain after injuring the shoulder.

While Hackenberg consistently had sidestepped questions about his future, saying he was "only focused on Georgia," he admitted he made his decision during game preparations after talking with his family.

"I think, right now, I'm going to declare for the draft," Hackenberg, his arm hidden in a sling under his jacket, said outside the Penn State locker room at EverBank Field.

"I want to thank [former] Coach [Bill] O'Brien for bringing me here and his staff. There's a lot of really good people on that staff. It's tough to say, but I think without him, I wouldn't have been here. He's what this place is all about."

Hackenberg was the first player to commit after O'Brien took over as head coach. He stuck with the program after the NCAA imposed harsh sanctions in July 2012 related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, sanctions that included a four-year bowl ban and a reduction in scholarships.

He arrived on campus in the summer of 2013, started the first game of his freshman year, and went on to a great rookie season in O'Brien's offense. But the coach left that Dec. 31 to become the Houston Texans' head coach, and former Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin was hired to come in.

Hackenberg stayed with the program and tried to learn a different offense, but his yardage and completion percentage dropped in each of his next two seasons. After going 8 for 14 for 139 yards on Saturday, he finished 2015 with 2,525 yards and a 53.5 percent completion rate, both career lows.

It's his accuracy that has NFL draft experts wondering whether Hackenberg deserves to be drafted in a high round. ESPN's Todd McShay said last month he would not want to give him a first- or second-round grade.

"If you can't deliver the ball accurately to spots, you're going to struggle in this league," he said.

Hackenberg said the decision to leave was tough "because you've invested so much into a place, so much into fixing things and making sure it's where it needs to be. It was tough, but at the end of the day for once I've got to look out for myself."

Franklin said Hackenberg would be remembered "as one of the best quarterbacks in program history."

"But for all of his accomplishments on the field, he also will be remembered for his leadership off the field during a trying time in program history," he said.

Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton said Hackenberg told him of his decision two days before the team left last Monday for Jacksonville.

"I guess we weren't necessarily surprised," Hamilton said. "We could see it coming. But either decision he made is what would have been best for him."

The 6-4, 323-pound Johnson was a force on the Nittany Lions' defensive line all season. He accounted for eight tackles against Georgia, with two tackles for loss and one of the Lions' two sacks in the game. He finished the season with 78 tackles (third on the team), 15 tackles for loss, and 61/2 sacks.

In a statement, Johnson thanked former coach Joe Paterno and defensive line coach Larry Johnson "for opening the door for me to attend Penn State," O'Brien "for being the rock of the program in time of need," and Franklin and defensive line coach Sean Spencer "for supporting me to excel in my position."

jjuliano@phillynews.com

@joejulesinq