So You Drafted Penn State QB Drew Allar

Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) warms up before a game against the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images THE SKINNY Drew Allar came to Penn State as one of the most prized recruits in program history, ranked as the top quarterback in the 2022 class and third-nest overall prospect. He served as backup to senior Sean Clifford as a true freshman, quickly burning his redshirt and gaining key experience while appearing in 11 games.

He quickly showed that he has an NFL arm, but needed more polish to become an overall stellar quarterback. Allar took over as QB1 as a true sophomore in 2022 with plenty of expectations. The hype train was off and running after Allar led the Nittany Lions to a season-opening 38-15 victory over West Virginia.

Allar completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards in his first start, with three touchdowns, including this gem: He also led them to early -season wins over Illinois and Iowa, a 31-0 victory with Allar tossing for four touchdowns and no interceptions. In fact, Allar nearly made it through his first nine starts before throwing his first career interception. However, it became clear that Allar needed more growth if he were to become an All-American level quarterback.

He struggled in losses to Ohio State and Michigan, completing just 44 percent of passes as the offense had a difficult time moving the ball. Allar finished the season with 25 touchdown passes to just two interceptions, but the lack of downfield passing held back the offense. Defenses soon caught up, taking away the short passing lanes that Allar was more comfortable with while defending less of the field.