Penn State has submitted plans for renovations to their Lasch football building that are expected to add about 14,000 feet, according to the plans provided by Penn State Proposes Plans For Lasch Building Renovations, New ‘Quarterback Lab’
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The new structure will extend into current parking lots around the Lasch facility and is projected to cost around $45 million.
Perhaps the most interesting note in the planned renovations is the addition of a "QB Lab.," Which seems to me like a first in college football. The new space is planned to be placed between the football building and academic center and will measure just over 1,000 square feet.
What exactly that room will consist of? Well no details are currently provided, so that is anyone's guess. One possibility considering James Franklin has been innovative in different areas of his program - and on the offensive side of the ball particularly, coupled with the push for virtual reality training for quarterbacks perhaps that's one possibility.
Penn State went through a long drought of quarterbacks not being selected in the NFL Draft between 1997 (7th Round selection Wally Richardson) and 2016 (2nd Round selection Christian Hackenberg). To be fair, the entire Big Ten didn't have a Big Ten quarterback taken in the first round from 1996-2016.
Looking at Penn State's quarterback history is quite surprising. Trace McSorely was chosen in this past year's draft by the Ravens in the 6th round. Hackenberg, a very highly rated quarterback coming out of high school with lofty expectations in both college and the NFL, lasted a few seasons in the league (as a backup) and is now considering a future in baseball. To find a Penn State quarterback that has had success in the NFL, you'd have to go back to 1995 1st Round pick Kerry Collins, and fellow 1st round pick Todd Blackledge in 1983. Having to dig back that far is certainly a bit strange for a place with a football tradition like Penn State's.
Maybe the proposed QB Lab remedies that. Or at the very least it is an outstanding bargaining chip to prospective signal callers considering Happy Valley as a destination to develop their talents for the NFL and shows the school's commitment to that position.
For now, we're left to contemplate and wonder what that quarterback lab could contain, but I know I'm looking forward to a reveal like they did when they brought players into the new locker rooms back in 2016.
The plans are still in the early stages and will need to go through a long process before final approval and construction can begin, but will be interesting to see if this gets approved and becomes a trend.
Below is a look at the planned location for the QB Lab, and you can read more about it Penn State Proposes Plans For Lasch Building Renovations, New ‘Quarterback Lab’
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