Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1496986
M A Y 2 0 2 3 19 as Sean Clifford's backup, Allar was set to return to the spotlight April 15 in the Blue-White Game. While the spring game is rarely illuminating from a schematic standpoint, it continues to serve as a plat- form for young players to show the strides they've made since arriving on campus. Among the quarterbacks, Allar has gotten most of the attention so far. He may still think of himself as a kid in some ways, at least in comparison to his veteran teammates, but he'll have adult-sized re- sponsibilities on his shoulders if he wins the position. The Nittany Lions have continued to garner praise as legitimate College Foot- ball Playoff contenders this fall, and those assessments are predicated on the idea that Allar is ready for his closeup. ESPN analyst Bill Connelly summed up the dynamic succinctly when he wrote that Penn State's biggest variable this year will be "Drew Allar vs. hype." "As planned, the five-star quarterback served as Sean Clifford's understudy dur- ing an excellent 11-2 season," Connelly noted. "Now he's The Guy." Allar is looking pretty adult-sized him- self these days. He's listed at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds this spring, a 13-pound boost from his playing weight last fall. When ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich caught up with Mike Yur- cich this spring, one of the qualities that seemed to impress Penn State's third-year offensive coordinator the most about Al- lar was his physical prowess. "He's such a big body, but he can re- ally maneuver his body well, so he's hard to bring down," Yurcich explained. "You need three arms on him, at least. "He can stand in there, and he doesn't need much space. He's got really good vi- sion. He keeps his eyes downfield incred- ibly well for a young guy." Ever since beating out the since-trans- ferred Christian Veilleux for Penn State's second-team job last fall, Allar has been widely viewed as the team's quarterback- in-waiting. But while he didn't see game action as a true freshman, the 6-2, 206-pound Pribula has been winning admirers within the program, both as a passer and as a running threat. Coach James Franklin said earlier this spring that the disparity between the classmates' respective skill sets provides PSU with the ability to substitute in ways that could give opposing defenses some- thing extra to worry about. Franklin also said the position battle at quarterback isn't over yet, and it may not conclude for a while. "I think it's been a really good competi- tion," he said. "Those guys are battling, and they're both doing really good things. "Sometimes it's hard to compare and contrast, because our [first-team] defense is really talented; who they're going against is part of it as well. Making sure Drew gets some reps with the twos and Beau gets some reps with the ones and vice versa — those things are important. … They're two guys that we're really excited about, not only for this year, but for their futures." While that battle will eventually have a victor, the competition never really ends. The notion that positions are perma- nently won is antithetical to Franklin's coaching philosophy, and probably every- body else's, too. For the duration of their time at Penn State, Allar and Pribula will likely be pushing each other. That said, Allar is confident he can win the job and hold onto it. "I have that inner self-belief and con- fidence, because I think you have to be confident at this level," he said. "You're playing with the best players each day. You definitely have to have that self-con- fidence that you belong here." Allar showed he belonged last year when, as an 18-year-old true freshman, he completed 35 of 60 throws for 344 yards and 4 touchdowns with no inter- ceptions. Appearing entirely comfortable playing a significant role on a team with Big Ten championship ambitions, he set the stage for a potential breakout in 2023. Now, with that season fast approach- ing, he's looking to build on his early suc- cesses. He may still be a young guy, but thanks in part to the experience he gained, he doesn't feel all that young anymore. "The coaches will crack jokes about it, but I don't really feel any of that," Allar said. "I'm just focused on doing the best I can and being as good as I can be for this team." ■ After throwing for 344 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, Allar has been focusing on the mental aspects of the game this spring. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE