By Ryan Parsons and Will Pegler

Penn State football’s Class of 2022 commit Drew Allar is officially the nation’s No. 1 quarterback prospect, but he’s still got a high school career to finish up.

Allar and his Medina High School Battling Bees finished the regular season with a 10-0 record, and the stud quarterback led the group with 2,937 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. He also rushed for six touchdowns and threw just four interceptions.

Before Medina takes on Shaker Heights Friday night to kick off its OHSAA playoff slate, Onward State visited with Allar to discuss his high school career and his future in Happy Valley.

OS: You guys are obviously 10-0 up to this point. How’s your senior season been so far?

Drew Allar: It’s been really fun so far. This senior group is super special, and we’ve done a great job of just having the same mentality every week — just going 1-0. Really, the real season starts right now with the playoffs. We can’t overlook anybody. We just got to take it one week at a time.

OS: Could you describe yourself a bit? What do you like to do when you’re not on the football field?

Drew Allar: Yeah, I guess I’m pretty laid back. I don’t go too many places. I like to just kind of stay low key and hang out with my friends that I’ve been growing up with. I’m kind of just laid back personality-wise, too.

OS: With Ohio State being so close, what drew you to Penn State’s program?

Really, the relationships I’ve built with the coaching staff, especially Coach Franklin and Coach Yurcich. They were super easy to talk to throughout my recruiting process, and I felt a connection with them as soon as I started first talking to them — it really made the decision easier. I just feel like the whole culture at Penn State really fits me.

OS: What’s excited you about Mike Yurcich’s offense after watching it so far this season?

Drew Allar: Yeah, just how explosive it can be. I know they’ve hit some plays and they haven’t hit some plays this year. But I think it’ll come together real soon, especially when Sean gets back to full health. He was playing amazing the first half of the year and it was super fun to watch him play. But I think just how much emotion [Yurcich] uses too — it helps quarterbacks a lot. He throws so much at the defense.

OS: What’s your relationship with Sean Clifford like?

Drew Allar: It’s super good. I think just because he’s from Euclid, and that’s 45 minutes away from here. So I’m pretty close with him. I think it’s just easy to make a connection with him, especially him being from Northeast Ohio.

OS: How much have things changed for you since you verbally committed to Penn State this past March?

Drew Allar: Not much. I mean, I’m still the same person. I still talk to them regularly. I talked to Coach Franklin probably Wednesday or Tuesday night. So I still talk to them pretty much twice a week, at least. But yeah, I’m definitely getting more attention in general, along with the whole team. The community is really surrounding the whole team really well. I’ve never really seen anything like it in Medina. I’ve seen it with basketball before because we’ve had some really good basketball teams, but we’ve never really had it with football before. It’s super cool to be a part of a group like this for sure.

OS: Did you grow up in an Ohio State household? If so, what was it like?

Drew Allar: Yeah, I grew up in an Ohio State household, but it wasn’t hard choosing Penn State because, you know, I felt like it was the best thing for me to choose. It fits me.

OS: When did you realize you could play football at a top college program?

Drew Allar: Probably not until last year. I always have the confidence I could do it, but really after our playoff run we made last year is when I really realized how much progress I made from my sophomore year into my junior year. And then how much more room I saw I still have left to grow. After that playoff run, I really figured out like “I could be pretty good at this.”

OS: You were just upgraded to a five-star recruit and named the No. 1 quarterback in the country. What does that mean to you?

Drew Allar: It’s super humbling. I’m super grateful for it. But, I know it comes with a great deal of responsibility, like kind of trying to live up to the expectations now. But really, nobody has higher expectations for me than myself. So, it doesn’t really get to me too much. I try to just approach it the same way each day just come in and work as hard as I can.

OS: What kind of relationships have you been able to develop with the other guys in the 2022 class? How about the other quarterback, Beau Pribula?

Drew Allar: I talk to them regularly through text most of the time, especially like Nick Singleton and Kaden Saunders. I talk to everybody in the class, we’re a super close, close group. Beau, I’ve never gotten to throw with him before, but I’ve talked to him. We were on an official visit together, so it was nice getting to know him. That’s the only time I’ve ever seen him in person. But, we text regularly and we’re in a group chat with Coach Yurcich, too. So, we have a pretty good relationship too.

OS: How many Penn State games have you been to and what was your impression of Beaver Stadium?

Drew Allar: I’ve only been to one game this year so far, which was the White Out game, and I’m hopeful to get back up to the Michigan game. It was indescribable. I’d never been to a Penn State game before that, so that was my first Penn State game.

OS: Do you plan on early enrolling at all?

Drew Allar: Yeah, I have everything set to enroll early.

OS: Score prediction for Penn State-Ohio State tomorrow night?

Five-star Penn State quarterback commit Drew Allar has a score prediction for tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ewKPVX3bRp

— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 29, 2021

OS: Per Onward State tradition, if you could be a dinosaur which one would you be and why?

Drew Allar: Probably a T-Rex. It’s the apex of the dinosaurs.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.