Blue White Illustrated

May 2025

Penn State Sports Magazine

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5 8 M A Y 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 I t took quarterback Drew Allar some time to move on from Penn State's final loss of the 2024 season. The senior signal-caller recently admitted that he was "not in a good state" dur- ing the week the followed the Nittany Lions' 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. By the time the team began winter workouts, however, Allar was ready to move on. "I was really able to flush it at that point, because that's something to re- ally look forward to and build off of," Allar said. "As soon as I really stepped in that weight room for the first time with that first lift group of this cycle, that's when everything started to click for me again. I was just kind of flushing all that stuff from the past, but defi- nitely learning from it." Fast forward to late April, and unless someone brings it up, it's all a distant memory to Allar. He said he learned from last year's key moments — not just the ones against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals but all of the highs and lows from his sec- ond year as a starter. Allar found his voice as a leader, though he still feels he can be better. His game went to another level, too, not only as a thrower and runner, but as an on-field director for offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. For Penn State to get where it wants to go this year, he must continue on that path. Allar is admittedly routine-oriented. That's part of what made the time off between mid-January and early Feb- ruary so difficult. There had been a game-week rhythm to the preceding four and a half months, and it ended suddenly, with Penn State producing 16 yards on the final three drives of its season. The bounce-back was difficult, but it had to be done. The work with Ko- telnicki, strength coach Chuck Losey, head coach James Franklin and quar- terbacks coach Danny O'Brien helped Allar move on. Together, they devised a plan for the spring. "He needs to take another step this year, which we think he's done every year he's been here," Franklin said. "He needs to take another step when it comes to his mobility, his leadership, his completion percentage. He needs to take another step in terms of his touchdown-to-interception ratio. "It's really all of it. We've had some conversations with Danny O'Brien that will stay between us, but I would say [it's a matter of] just being transparent. I don't think it's one necessarily spe- cific thing. It's all of it." "All of it" is cliché and vague, but it's also true. Allar could have been a first-round NFL Draft pick this year, but he de- cided to come back with the goal of taking Penn State to a place it hasn't been in decades while improving his draft stock for 2026. To him, "all of it" started with one specific focus. "I had a lot of goals for myself," Allar said, "but my biggest was just overall consistency with everything that I do — my routine before practice, post practice, and just the way I operate throughout practice. I think I've done a good job with that so far. I'm always trying to continue to build my leader- ship vocally and just do everything that I can to put myself in uncomfortable spots that allow me to grow more. "I was always going to keep grind- ing, because it doesn't come naturally to me at times. I'm just trying to better myself with that sort of thing. There have been a lot of things that I've been proud of through this spring cycle. I'm excited to rewatch this spring, and then learn what I need to get better at going into the summer and into fall camp." If Penn State is going to go one game deeper than it did last season, it's going to need more than just further refine- ment from Allar. The receivers must be better. Tyler Warren's production must be replaced. New defensive coordina- tor Jim Knowles needs to install his de- fense and find people who can execute it at a high level. In other words, the season does not solely rest on Allar's right arm. And yet, the senior quarterback will play an outsized role in whatever suc- cess PSU enjoys in the coming year. If his plan leads to continued develop- ment, he and the Lions will like where they find themselves. "It comes down to one or two plays a game," Allar said. "It's a handful of plays throughout a game that can get us to the position that we want to be in. I think we saw it last year. We don't have a shortage of talent on our team, that's for sure. And obviously, we have a great coaching staff. It comes down to execution at the end of the day." ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM Drew Allar Keeps His Focus On The Future THE LAST WORD Allar enjoyed a productive spring after shrugging off the disappointment of Penn State's loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS

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