Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
1 8 A P R I L 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer came to Penn State a little over a year ago as a fast-rising four-star recruit out of Lewis Center, Ohio. With fellow Ohioan Drew Allar firmly established as the Nit- tany Lions' starter, Grunkemeyer knew that his quick ascent was going to level off at PSU, at least initially. And it has. Allar's decision to return for his senior season means that Grunkemeyer won't have a chance to vie for the starting spot until 2026. But even with Allar taking most of the snaps, Grunkemeyer's development timeline has sped up. When Beau Pribula left for Missouri during the winter transfer window, Grunkemeyer be- came Allar's backup. He got his first taste of collegiate action in the fourth quarter of the Nittany Lions' 38-10 rout of SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, completing a 9-yard pass to Harrison Wallace III and tossing an interception on a bat- ted ball. This spring, Grunkemeyer will battle Jaxon Smolik for the No. 2 job, assuming the redshirt sophomore is fully healed from the un- specified injury that caused him to sit out the entire 2024 season. Grunkemeyer recently talked to Penn State beat reporters about his first year at the college level. QUESTION: What was it like for you when Beau Pribula left and you were elevated to the backup quarterback role going into the College Football Playoff? GRUNKEMEYER: "It was a good experience. You always want to prepare like you're going to get into the game and be the guy. "I was growing each week. Week 1 against West Virginia looked a lot different than [the CFP semifinal] versus Notre Dame. That preparation piece was the biggest thing for me." QUESTION: You got into the game against SMU. What was that like? GRUNKEMEYER: "That was a great experience. You learn a lot from live game reps — things to do, things not to do. I think that's really important for my growth as a football player, and as a person." QUESTION: As a younger quarterback, what does it mean to have Drew Allar back for another year and to be able to watch him work? GRUNKEMEYER: "He's a good mentor for me. I've got a whole list of things I still want to ask him — how he prepares, how he watches NFL games, NFL quarterbacks. That's something I want to get better at, and I think he does a great job. Walking to the facility in the morning, he's watching an NFL game, seeing how those offenses roll. I just want to learn how to do that. Little things like that, I think, are going to be huge for me this upcom- ing year." QUESTION: What do you feel you've learned already from being around Drew for the past year? GRUNKEMEYER: "The preparation that goes into each game. Coach [James] Franklin told me, 'Hey, this is a guy who does it right in the preparation aspect, so pick his brain, see what he does.' That's what I've tried to do. "And watching film — I understand that more. The plays that we install each week, the game-plan plays, they're like second nature now. He's helped me with that." QUESTION: What's been the biggest way that quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien has helped you? GRUNKEMEYER: "I would say, just allowing the growth process to happen. Learning from your mistakes is how you learn. And I think he's one of the best in the country, if not the best, at teaching you how to learn from your failures. That's one of the reasons why I came here. I knew he was going to be honest with me about what I needed to improve at. I think that's one of the biggest things he helps me with." QUESTION: What were some of the biggest takeaways for you coming off your first year at Penn State — not just on the field, but learning what it's like to be a student-athlete? GRUNKEMEYER: "Toward the end of fall camp, and then in the season, is where you learn the most. In spring ball, you're practicing, but you don't have an opponent that you're scouting. In the season, you need to scout the opponent, and you're lifting and practicing. Your time management has to be on-point with all of that, and then you also have school, obviously, so you've got to go to the academic center and get that done. "The time management piece was crucial for me in the sea- son. Learning how to deal with that better takes some of the stress off you." Sitting Down With Redshirt Freshman QB Ethan Grunkemeyer After seeing his first collegiate action in the College Football Playoff last December, Grunkemeyer will be looking to serve as PSU's second-team quarterback in 2025. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT