Michael Cohen
College Football and College Basketball Writer
LAS VEGAS — During the two-week window between Penn State’s loss to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game last December and its College Football Playoff quarterfinal against SMU, streams of data and opinions were funneled toward star quarterback Drew Allar as he weighed the decision to return for another season or enter the NFL Draft.
Some of the information came from head coach James Franklin, whose recruitment of Allar began when the Ohio native was a relatively unknown three-star prospect, long before he blossomed into the highest-rated quarterback in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Some of it came from his agents, who helped Allar decode rumor from truth regarding what scouts and general managers really thought of his draft stock. Allar absorbed it all.
“They did a great job giving me as much information as they could in a short time span, allowing me to make the most informed decision for myself on what I thought was best for me,” Allar said. “I definitely wanted that feedback just because when you’re going into that decision, at least for me, I want to be as informed as possible, no matter if it’s good or bad. I want to know where I stand.”
Penn State head coach James Franklin speaks with Drew Allar #15 during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Where he stood, Allar explained, was far less cut and dry than the rampant social media speculation that followed him for weeks. Depending on how well Allar performed in the postseason, where Penn State ultimately lost to Notre Dame in the national semifinals, some outlets suggested he could wind up being an early first-round pick amid a fairly barren crop of quarterbacks relative to the prior season when six were taken in the top 12 picks alone. Allar finished the year with career-highs in passing yards (3,327) and completion percentage (66.5%) while tossing 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Still, the information that made its way back to Allar — the stuff that came from sources he actually trusted — reflected a much wider range for where he might actually land. Some teams viewed him as a legitimate franchise quarterback worthy of a top-end selection. Others thought his inconsistencies rendered him more likely to be chosen in the middle rounds. There was too much variance for Allar’s liking, so he informed Franklin and the coaches of his intention to return the following year, a choice he now says was 90% firm entering the College Football Playoff.
“It was kind of like too scattered, I guess, to pull that trigger,” Allar said. “I have a lot of things I want to accomplish here as a team and individually that I wanted one more go at.”
Which brings us back to Wednesday afternoon at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where Allar addressed reporters at Big Ten Media Days as the conference’s most accomplished quarterback and the unquestioned leader of a team tipped to win the league in multiple preseason polls released this week. He is the leading figure behind Franklin’s assertion that the Nittany Lions have “the best combined personnel we’ve ever had at Penn State” following an offseason in which fistfuls of Allar’s talented classmates — including running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen — joined him in eschewing the NFL Draft for one last collegiate ride.
The dream scenario for Allar and Penn State ends with him delivering the school’s first national title since 1986 and then becoming the program’s first quarterback selected in the opening round since Kerry Collins in 1995, nearly a decade before he was born.
A truly spectacular season could vault the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Allar, now entering his third year as Franklin’s starter, into the conversation for the top overall pick alongside fellow quarterbacks Arch Manning from Texas and LaNorris Sellers from South Carolina, both of whom will still have eligibility remaining should they choose to remain in school. It’s not impossible to squint a bit and see Allar, lauded for his physical tools, accuracy and ball security, ending up as the Big Ten’s first No. 1 selection since former Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long in 2008. The last Big Ten quarterback to open the draft was former Illinois star Jeff George in 1990.
“Huge arm,” one high-ranking NFL executive told me when asked about Allar this week. “Talented passer. Not overly mobile. He has physical upside but hasn’t put it all together yet. He’s certainly capable, but [he] must have an enormous 12 months the place the expansion enjoying the place is plain.”
One space the place Allar could make vital strides is within the downfield passing recreation, each when it comes to his willingness to unleash sure throws and his accuracy on longer passes — points that had been influenced, or maybe compounded, by Penn State’s lack of ability to assemble a high-level receiving room.
A 12 months in the past, Allar accomplished an eye catching 81.2% of his passes on makes an attempt that traveled fewer than 9 yards past the road of scrimmage. That quantity plummeted to 52.2% on passes touring between 10 and 19 yards downfield, based on Professional Soccer Focus, which ranked 78th nationally amongst quarterbacks with at the very least 50 such makes an attempt. Precisely half of his eight complete interceptions got here on passes on this vary.
Penn State QB Drew Allar #15 reacts after throwing an interception through the fourth quarter towards Notre Dame within the Orange Bowl. (Photograph by Megan Briggs/Getty Pictures)
Sadly for Allar, who received’t flip 22 till subsequent March, a few of his most ugly performances have surfaced on the most important phases, not not like his oft-criticized coach. Allar is winless in 5 video games towards power-conference opponents ranked among the many prime 10 within the nation over the past two years — two defeats to Ohio State; one apiece to Michigan, Oregon and Notre Dame — and his completion share in these outings is an unpleasant 49.3%, roughly 13 factors under his profession common. He’s additionally thrown almost as many interceptions (4) as touchdowns (5) throughout these outings. Solely as soon as has he topped 200 yards passing.
“I’m very self-reflective about how I am going about my course of,” Allar mentioned. “Assembly with coaches and actually simply deep-diving into throws that I missed or selections I didn’t actually pull the set off on. After which actually making an attempt to know why I did, or didn’t do, these issues. It’s been a extremely good offseason engaged on that.”
Although he shied away from providing too many specifics, Allar spoke broadly concerning the enchantment of spending a second season with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, extensively considered one of many extra progressive minds within the sport; concerning the sincere scouting report he acquired from new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who tormented Allar every of the final two years in the identical place at Ohio State; concerning the significance of responding to destructive occasions with degree feelings, a tidbit Allar gleaned from reporter Tom Rinaldi of FOX Sports activities when the 2 mentioned how properly elite golfers bounce again from bogeys.
Drew Allar on his expectations for Penn State and development in closing season
Greater than something, Allar mentioned, he merely needed the prospect to play extra soccer, to chase the prize Penn State got here so near successful final January, when a pricey interception with 33 seconds remaining towards Notre Dame saved the Nittany Lions from an look within the nationwide championship recreation. He is aware of the NFL will nonetheless be there when his time at Penn State is finished.
“Most individuals had him projected as a first-round draft selection final 12 months,” Franklin mentioned, “and he determined to come back again to highschool [because of] unfinished enterprise collectively as a staff, but in addition as a person. I am a giant Drew fan. You guys get an opportunity to get round him, you will really feel the identical means. He is actually what it is all about.”
Michael Cohen covers school soccer and school basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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