The Passing Leaders

Penn State’s All-time Passing Yards Leaders—

The Career Passing Leaders List—

All of the passing totals for Penn State QBs on this list are adjusted to “Modified/Complete” stats… This is where so-called “unofficial” pre-2002 Bowl stats are included, and therefore differ from the Penn State Official Record Book & Media Guide—The 2002 season is the first where the NCAA & colleges considered Bowl & post-season stats to be official… This list is a much more accurate/realistic comparison of PSU Quarterbacks across the decades (although the 21st century has seen a much heavier pass-oriented offense than earlier years)…

Last active season at PSU in parentheses—(asterisk * indicates player left PS before eligibility expired/percent sign % indicates that player was not eligible by NCAA rule to play as a Freshman)

  1. Sean Clifford 10,661 yards (2022)—Had 6 full years of eligibility (was starter for 4 years) due to 2020 Covid-19 rule change

  2. Trace McSorley 9,899 yards (2018)

  3. Christian Hackenberg 8,457 yards (2015*)

  4. Drew Allar 7,402 yards (out for rest of season with ankle injury—1,100 passing yards in 6 games in 2025)

  5. Zack Mills 7,212 yards (2004)—was first PSU QB to reach 7K yards plateau—PSU record for lefthanded QB

  6. Tony Sacca 6,419 yards (1991)—includes 550 yards passing in 3 Bowls—1st over 6K passing yards

  7. Matt McGloin 6,390 yards (2012)

  8. Kerry Collins 5,811 yards (1994)—includes 507 yards passing in 3 Bowls

  9. Chuck Fusina 5,746 yards (1978)—includes 364 yards passing in 3 Bowls—1st over 5K passing yards

  10. Daryll Clark 5,742 yards (2009)

  11. Todd Blackledge 5,332 yards (1982*)—includes 520 yards in 3 Bowls

  12. Anthony Morelli 5,275 yards (2007)

    No other QBs have reached the 5,000-yard career plateau

LINK HERE TO PASSING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS

The Single Season Leaders—

All stats are “Modified/Complete” including all Bowls/Post-Season games—

  1. Trace McSorley 3,614 yards in 2016 (14 games)

  2. Trace McSorley 3,570 yards in 2017 (13 games)

  3. Drew Allar 3,327 yards in 2024 (16 games—missed 2nd half at Wisconsin with left knee issue)

  4. Matt McGloin 3,271 yards in 2012 (12 games-no Bowl)

  5. Sean Clifford 3,107 yards in 2021 (13 games—missed over half at Iowa with injury & 3 quarters vs. Rutgers with flu)

  6. Daryll Clark 3,003 yards in 2009 (13 games)—first to pass 3K in passing yards at PSU

  7. Christian Hackenberg 2,977 yards in 2014

  8. Christian Hackenberg 2,955 yards in 2013

  9. Kerry Collins 2,879 yards in 1994—200 yards passing in 1995 Rose Bowl

  10. Sean Clifford 2,822 yards in 2022

  11. Sean Clifford 2,654 yards in 2019

  12. Anthony Morelli 2,651 yards in 2007

  13. Tony Sacca 2,638 in 1991—150 yards passing in 1992 Fiesta Bowl

  14. Drew Allar 2,631 yards in 2023

  15. Daryll Clark 2,592 yards in 2008

  16. Trace McSorley 2,530 yards in 2018

  17. Christian Hackenberg 2,525 yards in 2015

    No other QBs have reached 2,500-yard single-season plateau

    The Single Game Leaders—

    The 400+ yard Club—

    454 yards—Christian Hackenberg in 2014 win vs. Central Florida in the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland

    401 yards—Sean Clifford in 2021 win vs. Villanova (Beaver Stadium & PSU North American record)

    399 yards—Zack Mills in 2002 in OT loss vs. Iowa (20 yards passing in OT/379 yards in regulation still broke then-McQueary record of 366 yards—PSU record for lefthanded QB)

    398 yards—Sean Clifford in 2019 win at Maryland (PSU non-neutral site road game record)

    395 yards—Matt McGloin in 2012 win vs. Indiana

    391 yards—Drew Allar in 2024 OT win at USC (3 yards passing in OT/388 yards in regulation/NOTE: Tyler Warren TE completed pass for 9 yards in this game giving PSU a combined passing total of 400 yards)

    384 yards—Trace McSorley in 2016 Big Ten Championship Game win vs. Wisconsin (PSU post-season record & PSU record indoors and at NFL stadium)

    381 yards—Trace McSorley in 2017 loss at Michigan State

    379 yards—Michael Robinson in 2003 loss vs. Wisconsin

    376 yards—Trace McSorley in 2016 win vs. Michigan State

    371 yards—Christian Hackenberg in 2014 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College at Yankee Stadium (30 yards passing in OT/341 yards in regulation/PSU Bowl record & PSU record at MLB stadium/NOTE: Trace McSorley’s 342 yards vs. Washington in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl is technically the PSU “regulation” Bowl record)

    371 yards—Sean Clifford in 2022 loss vs. Ohio State

    366 yards—Mike McQueary in 1997 win vs. Pitt (1st career start/broke Blackledge record)

    363 yards—Sean Clifford in 2021 win at Maryland (back-to-back with 2021 OSU game)

    361 yards—Sean Clifford in 2021 loss at Ohio State

    358 yards—Todd Blackledge in 1981 loss at Miami (Todd’s only career 300+ yard game)

    353 yards—Daryll Clark in 2009 win vs. Akron

    352 yards-Kerry Collins in 1993 win at Michigan State

    No others at 350+ yards passing in single game

    Other Passing Records—

    Total Career Games with 300+ yards Passing—

    10 games—Trace McSorley (best-384 yards)—5 games in both 2016 & 2017—3 games at 350+ yards

    9 games—Christian Hackenberg (best-454 yards—PSU record)—4 games in both 2013 & 2014—2 games at 350+ yards

    8 games—Sean Clifford (best-401 yards)—4 games in 2021—5 games at 350+ yards (PSU record)

    6 games—Matt McGloin (best-395 yards)

    4 games—Kerry Collins (best-352 yards)

    3 games—Drew Allar (best—391 yards)—suffered season-ending injury in game 6 of 2025 season

    3 games—Daryll Clark (best-353 yards)

Nittany Notes:

Only eight 300+ yard passing games happened prior to the 2000 season—

The first to pass for 300 yards in a game was Chuck Fusina in a 1977 win at NC State—315 yards (Fusina’s lone 300+ game)… It would not happen again until 1981 when Todd Blackledge passed for 358 yards in a loss at Miami (also his lone 300+ yard game)… Blackledge’s record stood until 1997, when Mike McQueary passed for 366 yards in a win vs. Pitt (his starting debut at PSU)… And, the McQueary record would be broken in 2002 by Zack Mills 399 yard effort which held until Christian Hackenberg broke the 400-yard barrier in 2014…

The most prolific 300+ yard passer at Penn State in the 20th century was Kerry Collins who did it four times… His best effort was 352 yards in a 1993 win at Michigan State… His first 300-yard game was in a 1992 loss at BYU (317 yards)… He would do it twice in 1994 wins vs. Rutgers (328 yards) and at Illinois (300 yards)…

Interestingly, Collins shared in a Nittany Lion 300-yard passing rarity—two different QBs doing it in the same season… Collins’ 317-yard game at BYU was preceded in 1992 by teammate John Sacca who passed for 303 yards in a win vs. Rutgers at Giants Stadium…

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