Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 15 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M NATE BAUER | NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM Penn State's NIL en- deavors took another step forward in October with the release of a new children's book. Its subject is one that Nittany Lions fans are especially excited about. A n n o u n c i n g t h e news via Twitter, Penn State true freshman quarterback Drew Al- lar is sharing his story in the form of an il- lustrated children's book called "The Men In Back". Partnering with author Andy Vodopia, Allar and his family set out to tell the in- progress story of his athletic career, while also offering insights into the person he is away from the football field. The 34-page hardcover book is Vodopia's second work of chil- dren's literature. He previously partnered with three Michigan of- fensive linemen for a name, image and likeness project last spring. The Allar book provides fans young and old with an opportunity to learn more about Penn State's young quarterback. "It will cover things about him that people wouldn't necessarily know, but it's always done in kind of a cute fashion," Vodopia said. "I'll routinely get asked, what's the age group? We call it a chil- dren's book, but I'm finding adults like it, too. And it's not so much for the reading of the material. It's that it's kind of unique, and if you're a fan, let's face it, what can you get that will last forever for $20?" The book is expected to ship on Nov. 1, and Vodopia is anticipat- ing a roughly 50/50 split with Allar from the proceeds. In his first season as a college football player, Allar has quickly earned early opportunities for playing time. He saw action in his very first game, stepping in against Purdue for 6 snaps when senior Sean Clifford began cramping up. He also received playing time against Ohio, in mop-up duty in Penn State's blowout win at Auburn, and in the second half of games against Central Michigan, Michigan and Minnesota. Prior to Penn State's matchup against Ohio State on Oct. 29, the only game in which Allar hadn't played was the team's 17-7 victory over Northwestern on Oct. 1 at Beaver Stadium. For the season, he had completed 18 of 31 passes for 209 yards, with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. ■ Joey Porter Jr. Remains Atop PSU's NIL Rankings On3.com has been tracking name, image and likeness valu- ations for college athletes, using a formula that incorporates on-field performance, social media influence and overall media exposure. The formula projects a player's earning potential over the next 12 months. On3's rankings are dynamic, reflecting the changes that take place over the course of a typical season. At Penn State, the biggest change in the rankings since the start of the 2022 campaign has been the rising profile of sophomore defensive end Chop Robinson. The Maryland transfer didn't make PSU's top 10 ahead of the season, but he was second behind only redshirt junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as of mid-October. Quarterbacks still dominate On3's NIL rankings. Nationally, 12 of the top 25 players are quarterbacks, including the top three: Alabama's Bryce Young ($3.4 million), Ohio State's C.J. Stroud ($2.6 million) and USC's Caleb Williams ($2.1 million). At Penn State, all four of the team's scholarship signal- callers appear in the team's top 10. Here's an updated look at PSU's list: Rk. Name Pos. Class. Valuation 1. Joey Porter Jr. CB R-Jr. $581,000 2. Chop Robinson DE So. $181,000 3. Sean Clifford QB Sr.+ $142,000 4. Olu Fashanu OT So. $139,000 5. Drew Allar QB Fr. $136,000 6. Cristian Driver CB Fr. $136,000 7. KeAndre Lambert-Smith WR So. $110,000 8. Nick Singleton RB Fr. $80,000 9. Christian Veilleux QB R-Fr. $78,000 10. Beau Pribula QB Fr. $71,000 PSU Freshman Drew Allar Is The Subject Of New Children's Book PSUtixman@gmail.com www.PSUtixman.com Get your PSU Football Tickets at go t ti cke t s? PHOTO COURTESY ANDY VODOPIA