Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M E valuating the quarterback position is a bit overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to start. Unlike with offensive linemen, there are endless statistics that measure and evaluate the signal-caller position. It's easy to pick a few of those metrics, craft a narrative and call it a day. But given how Penn State's Drew Al- lar played as a sophomore, a cursory look at the numbers would tell only a fraction of the story. Allar proved in his first season as the Nittany Lions' starter that he's a safe quarterback. He avoided mistakes, made some plays and operated the of- fense efficiently for large stretches of the season. Pro Football Focus awarded him an 80.0 passing grade, second- highest in the Big Ten behind Michi- gan's J.J. McCarthy. Safe doesn't mean great, though. Al- lar's season didn't look as pretty as his overall PFF grade would indicate. His average depth of target was 8.0 yards, second-lowest of 19 qualifying Big Ten quarterbacks. His 24 throwaways were the most in the conference and were tied for the fifth-most nationally. His 36.1 percent adjusted completion rate on passes over 20 yards was 10th of 17 qualifying Big Ten quarterbacks, and his 53.2 percent adjusted completion rate under pressure was 13th of 18 confer- ence QBs. By far, Allar's biggest issue last year was his accuracy. It wasn't dreadful, but it was far from what we collectively expected of the former five-star passer. He's always fought bad habits going back to high school, but we expected a sharper performance last season. Earlier this summer, in a conversation with BWI's Nate Bauer, Allar discussed the root cause of his accuracy issues. The problem, he explained, was that it was often hard to get into a rhythm be- cause of the circumstances of the game. "For me, being in rhythm is always the best thing, because you never want to go into a series cold," he said. "It's tough as a quarterback when you get to the games when you have to run the ball because the weather is so bad. And then, 'Oh, we have to dial up the shot.'" Allar admitted that mastering the mental side of the game was a challenge. Accuracy issues cropped up when he felt literal or figurative pressure. While it doesn't show a complete picture, we can look at his completion percentage on third down for evidence. Allar held a quality clip of 60 percent on first and second down, but the first-year starter dipped to 48.5 percent when he had to convert. Even his adjusted completion percentage, which eliminates drops and non-QB missed passes, was 8 points lower than on normal downs. Some of that was due to poor design. The Nittany Lions ran the football 66 percent of the time on first down. When teams picked up on that trend, Penn State regularly found itself in third- and-medium-to-long. He needed to be at his very best on more throws than most college quarterbacks. Even the first-round QBs in this year's NFL Draft feasted on easy layup passes for most of their stats. Allar played the game on hard mode last year. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki should help boost PSU's productivity. If there's one thing Ko- telnicki does with his quick-hitting, one-read passing concepts, it's keep a quarterback in rhythm. He's an expert at blending the passing and running games, creating an easier environment for the quarterback to thrive. In other words, Allar doesn't need to come out of the box as Peyton Manning. Instead of needing to "fix it" on third down or late in games, he'll have the chance to be part of the offense. Some will read this and grumble that Allar doesn't have "it." They'll say he's not mentally tough enough to be an elite quarterback. But given the situation dur- ing his first year starting, he deserves another chance to show his mettle. Amid all those difficult throws were moments of pure quarterback- evaluation joy. When he's right, Allar is everything you've read about and more. Knowing how to process the information the defense is giving you is half the bat- tle. If Allar isn't a master at it, he's close. The goal for PSU this year is simple: rebuild Allar's self-confidence and make him feel like he's always in rhythm. If you keep him loose and confident, he won't over-process the information and speed through his reads to get to the cor- rect spot too soon. He also will have less chance of rushing his footwork. Fixing the root issue should unlock everything. Once PSU has established a positive environment for him, it'll be on Allar to marshal his abilities and stay locked in. When BWI asked him how he wanted his season to go, Allar's first words were telling: "Smooth, efficient." If he achieves that, he'll be the Nittany Lions' greatest asset. ■ O P I N I O N THOMAS FRANK CARR T F R A N K .C A R R @ O N 3 .C O M PSU Must Keep Drew Allar In Rhythm This Fall Allar had one of the nation's best touchdown-interception ratios last year, with 25 scoring tosses and only 2 picks. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT UPON FURTHER REVIEW