Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
M A R C H 2 0 2 2 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M On3, ranking third out of all the players who participated, according to On3's Charles Power. "Drew Allar was the top-performing quarterback during All-American Bowl practices, showcasing his advanced passing talent and skill," Power said. "The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder has the best arm talent in the 2022 cycle. He has plus arm strength with the ability to easily drive the ball to all levels. Al- lar delivers from multiple arm slots and can layer the football, resulting in easily catchable passes." He's now a five-star player as rated by On3 and is a five-star in the On3 Con- sensus, too, ranking No. 27 overall. He finished his senior season as the na- tion's fourth-best quarterback accord- ing to the On3 Consensus. With Allar now on Penn State's cam- pus, you can be sure that fans will pack Beaver Stadium this spring to get their first look at the future Nittany Lion quarterback. You can also be sure that he's already putting in the work. "I think I would put him up against anybody in the country at his age level when it comes to film. In fact, I'd put him up against guys already playing at the college level when it comes to film work," Laird said. "That's one area where I think he truly excels, and you can see it when you watch him. He really excels in this area." ■ DREW ALLAR QB | 6-5 | 225 MEDINA HIGH MEDINA, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 27 4 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 7 2 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 50 2 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 69 5 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 3 1 1 STATISTICS • Completed just under 60 percent of his passing attempts (305 of 511) for 4,443 yards and 48 touchdowns as a senior, while also rushing for 406 yards and scoring nine touch- downs on the ground. • Threw for 2,962 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior. • Finished with 1,802 passing yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore. • Holds school and Medina County records for career passing yards (9,103) and career passing touchdowns (98). NOTABLE • Was named the winner of the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Mr. Football award, as well as Ohio Player of the Year honors from Max Preps, and Offensive Player of the Year laurels from Cleveland.com and the Greater Cleveland Conference. • 2022 All-American Bowl participant. • Was a three-sport athlete at Medina High, playing basketball and baseball in addition to football. • Father, Ryan Allar, was a tight end at East- ern Michigan from 1992-97. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Penn State on March 8, 2021. • Picked the Nittany Lions over Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State. • Recruited by offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. • Officially visited Penn State on June 25, 2021. • Enrolled at PSU in January 2022. 2022 PROJECTION Allar joins classmate Beau Pribula in the Nit- tany Lions' quarterback room this year. Beating out Sean Clifford, a super senior and three-year starter, will be a tall order for either freshman; it's certainly possible that one or both will redshirt this coming fall. But their January arrival figures to give the two young signal callers a chance to compete with redshirt freshman Christian Veil- leux for the backup job while also setting them up for a wide-open position battle in 2023. THEY SAID IT Charles Power, On3 director of scouting and rankings: "Allar has a big-league arm with the ability to drive the ball downfield and whips throws to the boundary with ease. "The Nittany Lion pledge has a good feel for the passing game and at times [during practice sessions ahead of the All-American Bowl] was throwing before receivers were out of their breaks or showed themselves to be open. BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Allar per- formed a miraculous transformation during his high school career. He had gobs of potential as a junior, but mechanical problems in his footwork prevented him from displaying the accuracy and consistency necessary to perform at a high level. Then finally, it clicked. "Allar's footwork, timing, and accuracy im- proved in real-time during his senior season, making him a five-star quarterback in produc- tion and not just potential." "I've talked to so many coaches at Penn State, and I really enjoyed talking to every single one of them. They got to know me off the field and what I like to do when I'm not playing football and just stuff like that. I really appreciate that. It feels more like a family environ- ment than just a straight football program." A L L A R Allar committed in March 2021, choosing the Lions over Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State. A January enrollee, he will take part in spring practice. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER