Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
3 4 A P R I L 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 Taking Ownership Allar has spent the offseason work- ing through the process incrementally, focusing first on his line-of-scrimmage operation, then turning from the cerebral to the physical. He aims to be consistent in his mechanics and footwork, and his preparation has extended from winter workouts to team meetings to the start of spring practice. Within the first few days of PSU's spring drills, Kotelnicki took notice. Quickly recognizing the makeup that has carried through every facet of Allar's off- season, the first-year Penn State coordi- nator pointed to those elements as both unique and critical to future success. "He's yearning to improve at practice," Kotelnicki said. "He's really, really good about trying to say, 'OK, this happened. Why? This bad play occurred. Why did this happen? This good thing happened. Why?' He is always seeking feedback to improve himself. I think that's important. "I've said this before: Being a college football player, you're going to be criti- cized a lot publicly. But then you're going to get a lot of criticism from your coaches and how to improve on what you're doing. "What we're trying to get guys to do — and Drew embodies this — is that we want our players to learn how to self-reflect. If you can get that done, and if you can learn to do that, in my estimation, I think that makes you better than 97 percent of the people out there. Because 97 per- cent of the population has never looked in the mirror and said, 'This is what I need to improve on.' He embodies the idea of looking in the mirror, taking ownership, good or bad, and growing and improving." Allar's next steps are self-evident. Against ranked teams, his 51.1 completion percentage is ripe for improvement. His willingness to run, an integral component of Kotelnicki's plans for the 2024 season, will also be tested. But Allar has consistently put in the work and preparation both on and off the field to ensure success, and he's proceed- ing through the offseason fully deter- mined to reach those goals. "I'm going to do whatever I can to get there. I know something that will never be in doubt about me is my work ethic and my work habits. I know I'll continue to stay on top of that," he said. "I want to be the best I can be. There's a lot more room to grow in my opinion. So, I think I'm in a really good position … to [take] that next step to where we want to go. I have full confidence in this team, and this offense, and this staff, so I'm really looking forward to it." ■ Allar passed for 3 touchdowns against Indiana, including one of the biggest throws of Penn State's season, a 57-yard scoring pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith late in the fourth quarter that lifted the Lions to a 33-24 victory. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL