Trace McSorley

Trace McSorley's Biography

Born on August 23, 1995, Richard Thomas “Trace” McSorley III has had an illustrious career in professional football from high school through college to the NFL. At present, he is a free agent quarterback. He rose to fame as a star player at Penn State for the Nittany Lions and holds the school’s records in single-season passing yards, career total yards, and touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens drafted Trace in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft, marking his entry into the National Football League.

From 2010 to 2014, McSorley was a student at Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Virginia. He was a dedicated football player from his freshman year and known for leading the team to state championships with impressive records. Due to his excellent performance, he received many awards, including the First-team All-State, All-Dulles District First Team, Dulles District Offensive Player of the Year, and Second-team All-Region quarterback.

As a redshirt freshman, he played six games, with five of those appearances when victory was already in sight. Despite being a novice, he nearly pulled an upset during a game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Although Penn State lost, his performance was commendable. Later, McSorley competed fiercely with redshirt freshman Tommy Stevens for the starting spot of the quarterback position. On his birthday in 2016, head coach James Franklin announced that Trace would be the starter quarterback, kicking off his professional career.

McSorley’s tenure at Penn State was quite fruitful, earning him accolades for his skills. His sophomore year record then skyrocketed to a Penn State single-season record, thanks to a stunning completion to teammate DaeSean Hamilton. Following that game, James Franklin admired McSorley’s leadership and dynamic performance throughout the year.

On numerous occasions, McSorley led the Nittany Lions from points of defeat to victory. He even set a new record for passing yards in a Big Ten Championship Game. His achievements even earned him a place on multiple Heisman ballots. In the 2017 Rose Bowl, he showcased his skills though Penn State fell short to the USC Trojans.

Upon returning for his senior season, McSorley guided the Nittany Lions to a great start. Throughout the season, he illustrated his capabilities under pressure with excellent passing and rushing stats, even finishing his final season with 18 passing touchdowns.

Entering the NFL, McSorley outperformed at the Scouting Combine, setting the fastest time for quarterbacks and demonstrating his physical capacity. Subsequently, the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the sixth round and he got limited playing time in his debut performance. However, his NFL journey was not smooth, with an injury setting him back during his second season.

In August 2021, the Ravens waived McSorley but re-signed him to the practice squad shortly after. Later in November, he moved to the Arizona Cardinals. Less than a year later, he was waived but reassigned to the practice squad again, only to be promoted shortly after to replace injured starter and backup quarterbacks.

Despite losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McSorley demonstrated his capabilities as a professional quarterback. However, he was later benched before signing a one-year contract with the New England Patriots in 2023. After he was released later in the year, McSorley signed with the Chicago Bears, only to be released and join the Steelers before moving on to the Washington Commanders in 2024, where he was also released shortly after.

Off the pitch, McSorley is a devoted son to Rick and Andrea McSorley, and a loving older brother to his sister, Micaela. Trace graduated with a degree in accounting from Penn State University in 2018 and began pursuing a second degree in journalism. A devout Christian, he sports a tattoo of a cross complemented with Bible verses signifying his faith. Apart from his sports career, McSorley also gained popularity on the social media platform TikTok, thanks to the viral song Trace McSorley by Matty Fresh.