Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 11 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M helped lift the Nittany Lions to a 10-2 regular season, with losses at Ohio State and Michigan and later a Peach Bowl set- back against Ole Miss. The next year, Franklin retooled his coaching staff, replacing offensive coor- dinator Mike Yurcich with Andy Kotel- nicki to lead the 2024 offense. The move paid dividends. Allar enjoyed his best sea- son at Penn State, completing 262 of 394 passes for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns while guiding the team to the Big Ten Championship Game and the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Allar's performance elevated his NFL Draft stock, with some projecting him as a first-round pick. Yet with Kotelnicki set to return and a strong supporting cast also back — including senior running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton and much of the offensive line that had an- chored the playoff run — Allar reaffirmed his decision to play one more season of college football. "We all came back for a reason. Every- body has different personal goals, and I think they all wanted one more go at it to- gether," Allar said last summer. "They had things they wanted to achieve in their ca- reers that maybe they haven't so far, and they want to run it back one more time. "What a great opportunity to come back to a place that — with all the guys returning — I thought we had a really special group. I had that in the back of my mind. There are a lot of things that I wanted to have one more go at and hope- fully accomplish this year." That to-do list included another shot at the national championship that had nar- rowly eluded them in 2024. Eager to reach his full potential, Allar entered the 2025 season transformed — leaner, more agile, and focused on refining his fundamentals while building chemistry with a new set of transfer receivers. "This is the best I've felt in my four years here, both mentally and physically," he said. "I'm moving better than I ever have before. And also, I'm lifting and eat- ing and doing all the necessary things to get better. I'm doing it at the highest level that I've done it at since I've been here. It's been subtle changes over time, and it's paid off so far." Now sidelined for the rest of the season, Allar has seen his playing career as a Nit- tany Lion effectively end. The injury has clouded his NFL outlook ahead of next year's draft, but he would need an exemp- tion from the NCAA to return to the col- lege level in 2026. In the meantime, his teammates have rallied around him. One of only a hand- ful of players to meet with reporters after the loss to Northwestern, senior receiver Devonte Ross expressed his dis- appointment in the aftermath of the injury. "I love Drew. That's unfortunate," Ross said. "It's a tough situation, just knowing him as a person and knowing how much football means to him and how much this team means to him. It's tough." Another recent addition to the Lions' roster, redshirt sophomore guard TJ Sha- nahan Jr., echoed Ross' views of Allar. "He's a great leader. He's a great per- son," Shanahan said. "And I think he's one hell of a quarterback. It just sucks to get that news for a guy who has worked so hard all season just to be the best person he can be and be the best leader he can be. My heart goes out. We're going to just be there for him. … I've got nothing but love for Drew." ■ Redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer is set to take over as Penn State's starting quarterback the rest of the season. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Drew Allar By The Numbers Year GP GS Comp. Att. Pct. Yds. TD Int. Long Att./G Yds./G 2022 10 0 35 60 58.3 344 4 0 32 6.0 34.4 2023 13 13 233 389 59.9 2,631 25 2 75 29.9 202.4 2024 16 16 262 394 66.5 3,327 24 8 59 24.6 207.9 2025 6 6 103 159 64.8 1,100 8 3 67 26.5 183.3 Totals 45 35 633 1,002 63.2 7,402 61 13 75 22.3 164.5