Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541276
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M reward for surviving those two contests was a matchup against another one of the nation's top defenses in Indiana. Grunkemeyer, a former four-star prospect from Lewis Center, Ohio, has shown impressive poise in helping Penn State try to recover from a tailspin during which it lost its coach, James Franklin, in addition to its veteran starting quarter- back. While his stats so far have not been eye-catching by any means, the stage has not seemed to be too big for him. He has controlled the huddle. He has gotten the play calls in on time, even in noisy envi- ronments like Kinnick Stadium and the Horseshoe. And when he has come under pressure, he's calmly surveyed his op- tions like someone with far more college experience than he has amassed to date. "Ethan continues to grow," interim head coach Terry Smith said in early No- vember. "I think he's getting better. We just have to give him more opportunities to show and develop." Diminished Depth Grunkemeyer credits his teammates and coaches for helping him ease into his unexpected starring role. Allar was hurt against Northwestern, leaving the Oct. 11 game with a left ankle injury while trying to fight for extra yardage on PSU's unsuccessful final drive. He's since had surgery, and his tenure as an active Nittany Lion football player is now over. Grunkemeyer had assumed the No. 2 role last December when Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal, and he held onto it throughout a spring and summer battle in which he outdueled redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik. During Penn State's visit to Iowa on Oct. 18, Smolik entered the game for a handful of snaps. Although he didn't at- tempt a pass, the usage pattern seemed to suggest that PSU was at least think- ing about using both players for the du- ration of the season. If that was the case, the plan changed when Smolik suffered an injury to his left arm. He missed the Ohio State and Indiana games, elevating true freshman Bekkem Kritza and redshirt sophomore walk-on Jack Lambert and putting red- shirt senior wide receiver Liam Clifford in play as a potential disaster quarter- back. Through three starts, plus some snaps during the September portion of the schedule, Grunkemeyer had completed 64 of 98 attempts (65.3 percent) for 562 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 4 inter- ceptions. Smith thought he saw prog- ress from the quarterback's first start at Iowa to his second at Ohio State, even though the Buckeyes were allowing the fewest yards and points in the country. The upward trend continued against Indiana, and the Lions will need even more from Grunkemeyer if they are to end their season on a positive note. "I think that our team does a really good job of helping guys get confidence with their roles, and especially when roles are increased," Grunkemeyer said. "Something that comes to mind is the offensive line, how they've handled it, and just having my back through it all, which, at the end of the day, helps me gain confidence and helps increase that leadership role. … That's something I don't take for granted at all." Penn State cannot take Grunkemeyer for granted, either, considering that he is the only scholarship quarterback with game experience who is currently available. And he, like everyone else in the program, is auditioning each week for a role in the 2026 season. Whether that's at Penn State under a new coach- ing staff or at another school, players are looking to showcase their abilities in hope of attracting the kind of attention that could lead to opportunities. Getting Vertical Prior to his arrival at Penn State as part of the 2024 recruiting class, Grunkemeyer elevated his profile during Grunkemeyer grew up not far from Ohio State's campus. In his return to the Buckeye State, he completed 19 of 28 passes for 145 yards in PSU's 38-14 loss. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS "There's definitely a lot of outside noise here and there. But I think the main thing is, I've got to go out there and do my best to win games. At the end of the day, that's going to be what helps this program the most." G R U N K E M E Y E R