Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Q U A R T E R B A C K S / / / / / / / PERSONNEL POSITION COACH Danny O'Brien: Now in his second season as quarterbacks coach, O'Brien helped Drew Allar complete 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,327 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 8 interceptions last year. O'Brien joined James Franklin's staff as an analyst in March 2021 and then moved into a graduate assistant role in 2023 so that he could take a hands-on approach with the quarterbacks. He's been oversee- ing the room since last year. O'Brien, 34, is a Minneapolis native. He played at Maryland from 2009-11, overlapping with Franklin during his first two seasons when the future Nittany Lion head coach was the Terps' offensive coordinator. O'Brien was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2010 and went on to win a Grey Cup with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League in 2016. He got into coaching with the BC Lions, serv- ing as an analyst for the CFL team in 2020 before leaving to take a similar role at Penn State the following year. RETURNING SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS DREW ALLAR Sr. | 6-5 | 235 • Started all 16 games for Penn State as a junior and finished the season with 262 completions on 394 attempts (66.5 percent) for 3,327 yards, with 24 touch- downs and 8 interceptions. Allar threw 3 touchdowns against five opponents (West Virginia, Kent State, Purdue, Or- egon and Boise State). • Threw for 2,631 yards with 25 touch- downs and only 2 interceptions in 2023 while completing 59.9 percent of his passes as a sophomore. • Threw for a season-high 325 yards and 3 touchdowns against West Virginia in his first career start. • Completed 35 of 60 passes (58.3 per- cent) for 344 yards, with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions, while playing in 10 games as a true freshman in 2022. • Was named Ohio's Mr. Football for his performance as a senior at Medina High in 2021. • Rated among the best prospects in the class of 2022 according to the On3 In- dustry Ranking, finishing as the No. 28 overall player and No. 3 quarterback in the cycle. • Led Medina to a 13-1 record as a se- nior, completing 305 of 511 passes for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns. ETHAN GRUNKEMEYER R-Fr. | 6-2 | 212 • Took his first career snap in the fourth quarter of the Nittany Lions' 38-10 vic- tory over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, completing 1 of 2 passes for 9 yards. • Enrolled in January 2024 and made his Penn State debut in the Blue-White Game, attempting 4 passes for 8 yards while throwing an interception. • Was a four-star prospect in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, as well as the No. 108 overall player, No. 9 quarterback and No. 4 prospect in Ohio. • Led Olentangy High in Lewis Center, Ohio, to an 11-2 record as a senior, completing 66 percent of his pass- ing attempts for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns. • Was a team captain in 2023. Com- peted at the Elite 11 Finals before his senior season. • Named Ohio's Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. JAXON SMOLIK R-So. | 6-1 | 213 • Did not see action during the 2024 season due to an unspecified injury suffered in spring practice. • Appeared in one game during the 2023 season, preserving his freshman eligibility. • Enrolled in January 2023 and made his Penn State debut in the Blue- White Game, attempting 1 pass (an incompletion) while carrying once for an 11-yard loss. • Was a three-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, as well as the No. 36 quarterback in the cycle and No. 9 prospect in Iowa. • Led Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, Iowa, to a 10-2 record as a senior, completing 64 percent of his passing attempts for 1,967 yards and 19 touchdowns. NEWCOMER BEKKEM KRITZA Fr. | 6-5 | 200 • Spent time at four different high schools, finishing at Chaminade Ma- donna in Hollywood, Fla., where he threw for 885 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024 to help lead the Lions to a Class 1A state championship after ar- riving at midseason. • Threw for 1,747 yards and 20 touch- downs as a junior at Fairview High near Boulder, Colo. • Passed for 3,192 yards and 22 touch- downs as a freshman at Fairview. • Enrolled at Penn State in January af- ter finishing his high school career as a three-star prospect and the No. 67 quarterback nationally, per On3. Jaxon Smolik missed the 2024 season with an injury but was back in action in the 2025 Blue-White Game and tossed a 42-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lyrick Samuel. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS