Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
3 6 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 4 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / I t's h a rd n o t to co m pa re Et h a n Grunkemeyer's recruiting process to that of current Penn State junior Drew Allar. While Grunkemeyer didn't quite reach five-star status like Allar did, many other key points surrounding his recruitment are eerily similar, begin- ning with the fact that both quarter- backs are from Ohio. While Allar grew up outside of Akron, Grunkemeyer was raised in the heart of Buckeye country, growing up in Lewis Center about 20 minutes north of Ohio State's campus. Just like Allar, he sup- ported the Buckeyes, too. He and his parents were actually inside Beaver Sta- dium in October 2016 when Penn State stunned second-ranked Ohio State on Grant Haley's 60-yard return of a blocked field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Little did he know that the team he was rooting against that night would go on to be the school he would play for just under a decade later. "Obviously, as a kid growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I grew up watching the Big Ten a ton. Of course I've seen the White Out a ton," Grunkemeyer said back in April when he earned an offer from Penn State. "I came the year that Penn State beat Ohio State on that blocked kick. That was a crazy experi- ence and one that I'll never forget." While Allar picked up an offer from Penn State a few months earlier in the process than Grunkemeyer did, both Grunkemeyer committed to Penn State last May and held firm to his pledge even after the Nittany Lions changed offen- sive coordinators. PHOTO COURTESY ETHAN GRUNKEMEYER ETHAN GRUNKEMEYER Highly touted quarterback follows a familiar path to Penn State QB | 6-2 | 202 Olentangy Lewis Center, Ohio Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 107 9 4 On3 ★★★★ 117 10 5 ESPN ★★★★ 76 5 4 Rivals ★★★★ 233 15 10 247Sports ★★★★ 103 8 3 Statistics • Holds school record for career passing yards (8,401) and passing touchdowns (80) • Threw for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns during his senior season • Passed for 2,649 yards and 25 scores as a junior Notable • Divison I All-State first team in 2023 • Under Armour All-American • Three-year letterman Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on May 20, 2023 • Recruited by former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and his successor, Andy Kotel- nicki • Picked Penn State over Cincinnati and Min- nesota • Officially visited on June 9, 2023 2024 Projection Junior quarterback Drew Allar still has two years of eligibility remaining, while redshirt sophomore Beau Pribula has three and red- shirt freshman Jaxon Smolik has all four. In other words, there's no reason to rush Grunke- meyer's development. As long as the Lions don't suffer a run of injuries at the position, the four-star true freshman will redshirt this coming fall. It will be interesting to see where he stacks up once Allar leaves. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Grunke- meyer's superpower as a prospect is his consistent, smooth delivery as a passer. He's another quarterback from private coach Brad Maendler who excels at releasing the football in a quick, compact motion that eliminates wasted energy. Grunkemeyer showed me- chanical excellence at the Elite 11 camp and throughout his career at Olentangy High. "But quarterbacks can have great mechan- ics and still not have the same accuracy as Grunkemeyer. He has shown why he's a top-10 passer in the country, with excellent and spe- cific ball placement on key passes." T H E G R U N K E M E Y E R F I L E