Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
4 4 M A R C H 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I n just about every Penn State recruiting class you'll find one or two players who have loved the Nittany Lions since they were young. No matter how many offers those players get, Penn State is always the team to beat. For the class of 2022, three-star quar- terback Beau Pribula fits this mold. A na- tive of York, Pa., and the nation's No. 25 signal caller according to the On3 Con- sensus, he grew up attending games as a fan throughout his youth. Pribula said that his affection for the school didn't cloud his judgment, but playing for the Nittany Lions was truly a dream come true. "Penn State was always my dream school, although I tried not to let that in- fluence me during this decision," Pribula said following his commitment in August 2020. "But quarantine was a unique time. Coaches and I had a lot of time. I think I talked to coaches more over the past cou- ple months than I normally would have if this was a normal environment. That really helped me develop relationships with these coaches pretty quickly, even without visiting all of them. "But I was still able to evaluate each school, and I did that. It just got to the point where I knew Penn State was the one that I wanted to go to, and that school just so happened to be my dream school growing up." Pribula mostly played defense during his freshmen season before taking over at quarterback as a sophomore. Prior to the start of his junior season, Central York hired Gerry Yonchiuck as its head coach. That's when Pribula's statistics started to skyrocket. He enjoyed a breakout sea- son in 2020, throwing for 2,156 yards and 34 touchdowns, while also rushing for an- other 519 yards and 14 scores. He led the Panthers to the PIAA District 3 Class 6A championship and an appearance in the state championship game and was named Pennsylvania Class 6A Player of the Year. Despite losing several key teammates at the skill positions, Pribula was excellent his senior season, too, totaling 2,575 yards passing and 33 touchdowns in 2021. Most impressive is the fact that he completed over 70 percent of his passes. "This isn't a once-in-every-10-years kind of player. This is a once-in-a-life- time kind of player for any coach," Yon- chiuck said. Pribula arrived on Penn State's cam- pus in January and is now participating in winter workouts. The emergence of five- star Ohio quarterback Drew Allar grabbed the attention of many Penn State fans in 2021. But a source close to Penn State's coaching staff told BWI recently that the quarterback battle in the years to come is expected to be highly competitive. "If you're sleeping on Beau Pribula," the source said, "you may be in for a rude awakening." ■ A three-year starter as quarterback at Central York, Pribula was twice named Pennsylvania Class 6A Player of the Year. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER By Joining Lions, Beau Pribula Fulfills Lifelong Dream RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M BEAU PRIBULA QB | 6-2 | 205 CENTRAL YORK HIGH YORK, PA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ 451 25 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ – 54 14 * ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ – 8 10 * ✪ ✪ ✪ – 6 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ – 27 14 * Positional rankings include only dual-threat quarterbacks STATISTICS • Completed 73 percent of his passing attempts for 2,575 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior. • Rushed for 420 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season. • Posted a 100 percent completion rate in two games last fall. NOTABLE • Helped Central York win its first District 3 title and make its first state title game appearance as a junior. • Was the Class 6A Player of the Year as a senior and a two-time Class 6A all-state selection. RECRUITMENT • Received a Penn State offer on March 27, 2020. • Took six visits to PSU in 2021, including an of- ficial visit on June 25. • Committed to the Lions on Aug. 3, 2020. • Recruited by offensive coordinator Mike Yur- cich, with help from tight ends coach Ty Howle. • Enrolled at Penn State in January 2022. 2022 PROJECTION Given that Pribula and fellow quarterback re- cruit Drew Allar are already on campus, they fig- ure to have a chance to challenge redshirt fresh- man Christian Veilleux for the primary backup quarterback spot this coming season. A redshirt season is probably the most likely scenario, but it isn't assured at this early juncture. THEY SAID IT James Franklin, Penn State head coach: "You look at the numbers he was able to put up and the wins they were able to have this year, and it was a special year. He made plays with his feet, he made plays with his arm. His touchdown-to- interception ratio was fantastic. His completion percentage was fantastic." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "He's the most consistently accurate quarterback I've seen come to Penn State, and that alone puts him in contention to start at some point in the future. Because if you can consistently repeat your fun- damentals and you can put the ball where you want all the time … that's one of the hardest parts to master, so you don't think about it any- more. He's done that already."