Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
3 8 A U G U S T 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 4 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern STARTER ★★★ If you looked only at the overall numbers from Drew Allar's first season as starting quarterback at Penn State, you'd probably add a star to the rating above. But if you break out his statistics from the Nittany Lions' biggest games last year, it becomes a much tougher argument to make. The Medina, Ohio, native threw for just 1 touchdown apiece in losses to Ohio State and Michigan, had completion percentages under 44 percent in both contests, and mustered only 70 passing yards at home against the Wolverines. Those are unsightly numbers from what was otherwise a fine season in which Allar completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns. Heading into his junior campaign, Allar will be working with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to refine his game and perhaps put Penn State over the top against the kind of elite op- ponents that have given them so much trouble in recent years. EXPERIENCE ★★★ Penn State enters the 2024 season with two quar- terbacks who have plenty of game experience. Allar was on the field for 826 snaps last year, while Beau Pribula earned 142 snaps as a redshirt freshman backup. How Kotelnicki schemes ways to use both this fall is of great interest to many Nittany Lion fans, and with good reason. Allar and Pribula have skill sets that complement each other, and Kotelnicki is an inventive coach who found ways to use two quarterbacks — occasionally at the same time — during previous stops. DEPTH ★★ Penn State had to lean on Pribula last November after Allar got hurt early in the third quarter against Rutgers. The backup quarterback rushed for 71 yards on 8 carries, and PSU coasted to a 27-6 vic- tory. Pribula only attempted 1 pass against the Scarlet Knights, which he completed for a 9-yard gain. In that respect, the game was a microcosm of his season. Pribula wasn't given a lot of opportuni- ties to display his passing skills, and as a result, his capabilities in that area are still unknown. Another concern when it comes to the Nittany Lions' depth at quarterback is that redshirt fresh- man Jaxon Smolik is out of action indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. He has not been ruled out for the season, but it's unclear when he will be back in the mix. Aside from Allar and Pribula, the only other schol- arship passer on the roster is true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer. The fact that Grunkemeyer arrived in January is certainly helpful. His meteoric rise from relatively unknown recruit to four-star top-10 passer in the On3 Industry Ranking indicates how talented he is. But he still hasn't experienced a preseason camp, let alone a Big Ten road trip or even a game day at the college level. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ Kotelnicki's arrival in State College has given rise to hopes that Penn State will be able to field a more consistently explosive and productive of- fense in 2024 than it did last year. Are those hopes justified? There is cause for optimism … but also for concern. Allar was a five-star recruit who now has a year of experience under his belt. Penn State's occasional struggles last year involved more than just Allar's growing pains, but Kotelnicki will be tasked with overseeing the junior quarterback's ongoing development and helping Allar help those around him. It would not be surprising if Allar were to make a big leap forward in his second year as a starter, but he needs to feel comfortable in Penn State's new of- fense, and he also needs PSU's wide receiver corps to make a big leap of its own. BY THE NUMBERS 0.005 Percentage of Drew Allar's 389 passes that were inter- cepted last season. It was the best mark in all of college football. The quarterback's ability to take care of the ball was one of the highlights of his first season as a starter. 25 Number of touchdown tosses Allar had in 2023. That number tied Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa for the most in the Big Ten. 1,001 Rushing yards by Kansas quarterbacks during the 2022 and '23 seasons when their offense was being overseen by Andy Kotelnicki. As Penn State's new offensive coordinator, Kotelnicki will be looking to ensure that backup Beau Pribula has a role as a runner. Allar, too, will be asked to use his feet as well as his arm. Beau Pribula took charge of the offense after Drew Allar was injured against Rutgers last season and rushed for 71 yards on 8 carries in a 27-6 victory. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL