For the first time since 2019, Penn State will have a new starting quarterback. The options? Drew Allar and Beau Pribula, who were both of the program’s quarterback commits from the Class of 2022.

Although Allar, the former five-star recruit, has been viewed as the heir to Sean Clifford’s throne, both quarterbacks are competing for the job and quickly emerging as leaders. Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was quick to publicly acknowledge their ability to lead by example.

“Drew and Beau have done a really good job of leading by example, and you see signs of them being more vocal at the same time, and that’ll come with more trust and more production,” Yurcich said. “The more they produce, I think the more you’ll see them become even more vocal, which is needed at times.”

Both players have already spent a year in the system, which can significantly benefit development. Allar and Pribula observed and learned from a veteran quarterback in Clifford, while also earning reps in the process.

While leading by example and being vocal provides a boost in confidence for any offense, it is especially important that Penn State is seeing confidence from its quarterbacks early after being under Clifford’s leadership for so long. This helps ease the transition between a veteran quarterback and a newcomer, as head coach James Franklin noted.

“Obviously, when you got a veteran kind of running the show, showing everybody else how to operate, how we check the run game, or how we handle protections and things like that; there’s obviously a ton of value because he set the tone for everybody. But to be honest, Drew and Beau have been really impressive so far,” Franklin said.

Despite the challenges of moving from a veteran to a first-time starter, Allar and Pribula seem to be adapting well. Although there’s still work to be done with the season being months away, the early confidence during camp is a step in the right direction.

However, Yurcich stressed that the most important thing is that both players are putting in the work.

“For right now, they’re just trying to do their job and do it to the best of their ability and really lead by example, and that’s all they need to do,” Yurcich said.

Meanwhile, veteran wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith has also noticed the same things as Yurcich.

“He’s more ‘lead by example,’ but you can see him stepping out and becoming more vocal because he realizes that’s what he’s gonna have to do a little bit,” Lambert-Smith said about Allar.

Lambert-Smith’s approval is similarly valuable, as he’s expected to be a huge part of Penn State’s offense in 2023. Although there’s still a long way to go, both quarterbacks’ improvements as leaders are promising signs for the Nittany Lions.

We’ll presumably get to see both quarterbacks in action when Penn State football takes part in its annual Blue-White Game on April 15 at Beaver Stadium.