If you were anywhere near TikTok in late 2020, you heard it. That high-energy, slightly chaotic beat paired with a verse that sounded like a fever dream about Big Ten football. "They can't touch my deep ball, every game I'm scoring." It didn't matter if you were a Baltimore Ravens fan or had never watched a snap of college ball in your life. The Matty Fresh Trace McSorley lyrics became the unofficial soundtrack of the internet's most bizarre sports obsession.
But here is the thing: the song wasn't new. Not even close.
While the world was busy making memes of a third-string NFL quarterback, Penn State fans were already four years deep into the cult of Matty Fresh. The track was originally a 2018 tribute to Trace McSorley as he headed into his final season in Happy Valley. Matt Freiler, the Penn State alum better known as Matty Fresh, basically penned a love letter to the guy who held almost every passing record in school history.
Honestly, the lyrics are a masterclass in hyper-niche sports culture.
The Breakdown: Matty Fresh Trace McSorley Lyrics
The song opens with a relentless confidence that mirrors McSorley’s playing style. It’s not just about football; it’s about the specific lore of 2014-2018 Penn State. When Matty Fresh drops lines about "looking back at 2014," he’s talking about the dark days of the program and how number nine basically put the team on his back to bring them back to national relevance.
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The Hook That Burned Into Everyone's Brain
The chorus is where the viral magic happened. It’s simple, catchy, and aggressively optimistic:
- "They can't touch my deep ball, every game I'm scoring."
- "I'm your favorite quarterback, they call me Trace McSorley."
- "Rep that blue and white, you know I do it for the glory."
It’s sort of hilarious that these lyrics, written for a college hero, ended up being used to troll the entire NFL. People started posting videos of McSorley doing absolutely nothing on the sidelines while this track blasted in the background. It turned a genuine hype song into a piece of digital performance art.
Verses and Deep Cuts
If you actually listen to the full version of the Matty Fresh Trace McSorley lyrics, you realize how much homework Freiler did. He name-drops Saquon Barkley going to the "big league" and mentions Miles Sanders being "next up." For a Penn State fan, it’s a nostalgic trip. For a casual listener, it’s just a barrage of names that rhyme surprisingly well with "boring" and "snoring."
He even touches on the "underrating" of McSorley, hitting back at critics who said he was undersized. "Listen to the critics, they all say I'm undersized / If you want to win a game, then put your faith in number nine." That line actually hits pretty hard when you remember McSorley’s knack for fourth-quarter heroics and "Trace-ing" his way out of sacks.
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Why the Song Exploded Years Later
So, why did a song from 2018 peak in 2020? TikTok is weird, basically.
A creator named David James started using the track for Madden highlights, and the algorithm just grabbed it and ran. Suddenly, the NFL’s official account was posting McSorley content. The Ravens were leaning into it. It became a "meme-to-reality" situation where a player with very few professional snaps was suddenly more famous than Patrick Mahomes for a few weeks.
Matty Fresh didn't stop there, though. He’s carved out a very specific niche of "Big Ten Rap." He has tracks for Saquon Barkley, Jahan Dotson, and more recently, "Triple Threat Tyler" about Tyler Warren. He’s essentially become the bard of Beaver Stadium.
The Cultural Impact of "Number Nine"
It’s easy to dismiss this as just another "cringe" internet song. Some people definitely do. On Reddit, you’ll find threads where people argue it’s the best or worst thing ever made. But the reality is that the song captured a very specific feeling of the James Franklin era at Penn State.
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The lyrics aren't just about stats. They are about the "glory" and the "blue and white." It’s an anthem for a fanbase that prides itself on being "Unrivaled" even when the national media ignores them.
Real Talk: The Lyrics vs. The Reality
Looking at the lyrics now, in 2026, there is a bit of a "glory days" vibe to it. Trace McSorley's NFL journey has been a bit of a journeyman's tale—Ravens, Cardinals, Patriots, Commanders. He hasn't exactly been "scoring every game" in the pros.
But that doesn't matter to the people who still play this track before kickoff. The song isn't about the NFL. It’s about 2016. It’s about the Big Ten Championship. It’s about that "long ball" that McSorley used to chuck up to Chris Godwin or Mike Gesicki with zero fear.
The lyrics acknowledge the journey: "I look back at 2014, thinking how the hell did we get here?" It’s a reflection on the grind.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Matty Fresh discography, start with the Saquon Barkley track and work your way forward. You'll see how his production value has actually jumped quite a bit since the early "Trace" days.
Next Steps for You:
If you want to understand the full context of the lyrics, go watch the Penn State vs. Ohio State 2016 highlights while listening to the track. It’s the only way to truly "get" why this song has such a grip on a specific corner of the internet. You can also check out Matty Fresh's newer releases on Spotify to see how he's evolved from a viral meme-maker into a legitimate voice for Nittany Lion culture.