Drew Allar’s legacy at Penn State will always be complex.

In March of 2021, the then four-star quarterback from Medina, Ohio committed to James Franklin’s program. A highly touted recruit, Allar threw for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns in his senior season while recording a completion percentage of 0.599. During Allar’s high school career, he earned the honor of being named Mr. Ohio.

After Allar committed to Penn State, his stock as a player skyrocketed. He was upgraded to a five-star recruit later that year, and rose to become the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the 2022 class. He was considered to be the No. 3 player overall, and was quickly regarded as one of the most anticipated Penn State recruits of all time. 

While Penn State has seen tremendous talent come through its football program, often in the form of linebackers and running backs, securing a top-ranked quarterback has never been a strong suit of the program. Christian Hackeberg was the last signal-caller that comes to mind who was highly recruited out of high school.

When Allar arrived on campus prior to the 2022 season, he would sit behind Sean Clifford for his freshman season. Though the season ultimately ended in an unforgettable victory in the Rose Bowl, fans had began to grow tired of the Clifford era and wanted a glimpse of the future. 

Throughout the year, poor offensive showings would prompt a wave of “we want Drew” chants from the Beaver Stadium crowd. The Nittany Lion faithful knew the type of talent that was sitting on the bench and were eager to see Allar take the reins.

Over the course of the season, Allar did make a handful of appearances in relief of Clifford. In the primetime opener at Purdue, the freshman came in after Clifford suffered a minor knee injury. He made his home debut against Ohio where he completed six of eight passes for 88 yards, and threw for two touchdowns.

At the conclusion of the season, Penn State would take down Utah in Pasadena, marking the program’s first Rose Bowl victory since 1995. Franklin would put Allar in the game to take the final snaps, signaling the passing of the baton to his young quarterback.

The 2023 offseason was one of much excitement, as is often the case when a new quarterback is set to begin his tenure. Coming off a top-10 finish, Penn State football was poised to build off its 2022 successes, many believing the team could make a run at the College Football Playoff with Allar at the helm.

In May of that offseason, NBC announced that Penn State would kick off its 2023 campaign in primetime. Allar would make his first start as a Nittany Lion under the Beaver Stadium lights against an old rival in West Virginia. This would mark the first time a home opener would be played at night for Penn State in over two decades. The decision further amplified the hype around Drew Allar, as the primetime slot meant that the eyes of the college football world would descend on Happy Valley.

September 2, 2023 had the vibe unlike any other Penn State game I’ve ever attended. The buzz in the tailgate lots was all about Allar, as was the talk in the stadium leading up to kickoff and lasting throughout the game. When he was introduced to the crowd, it was the loudest I had ever heard Beaver Stadium react to the starting lineups. 

The place was electric, and so was Allar.

On Penn State’s first drive of the game, Allar dropped back, dodged a defender, and threw a dart to KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 72-yard touchdown. 

“Welcome to the Drew Allar era,” Noah Eagle proclaimed to the world. The kid had arrived.

In that game, Allar threw for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He looked like the real deal and his stats reflected that. Penn State would win that game by a score of 38-15.

However, during his Penn State career, Allar matched the yardage mark from this game only once. In his next five games leading up to the matchup with Ohio State, he threw for 204, 208, 166, 189, and 162 yards, respectively. 

But while his passing stats took a hit, Allar still had managed not to throw an interception, a trend that would continue the game against the Buckeyes. Allar went on to break the record for most pass attempts to start a career without throwing a pick.

When the Nittany Lions marched into Columbus in November of Allar’s freshman season, many thought the blue and white had their best chance of winning that game that they had had in years. 

Ultimately, Penn State dropped that game 20-12; the result a familiar feeling to the Nittany Lion faithful. Allar did not perform well, completing 18 out of 42 passes while throwing for under 200 yards and just one touchdown. He looked tight, uncomfortable, and unprepared. 

In his post-game media availability, Allar looked defeated. He was in tears while talking about how he “sucked.” It was a difficult sight to watch, a 19-year old shouldering the weight of the program visibly rattled by the loss. 

In the following game, the unranked Indiana Hoosiers came to town. The game was much closer than anyone would have expected, and Allar and Penn State looked like they were experiencing a hangover from the Ohio State matchup. 

In the fourth quarter, Allar threw his first interception of the season. But it was how he responded that gave fans hope that the Allar they saw in the West Virginia game would return. With under two minutes to-go, with the game tied at 24, Allar launched a deep-ball touchdown to KeAndre Lambert-Smith to seal the game for the Nittany Lions.

After the game, Allar showed more emotion than he had ever demonstrated during his Penn State career. Leading up to the Indiana game, there was much criticism that Mike Yurcich wasn’t letting Allar throw the ball downfield. Once he finally connected, Allar had many believing that he was finally “unlocked.” 

Two weeks later, undefeated Michigan came to town. The Wolverines were in the midst of a sign-stealing scandal, and Jim Harbaugh would not be present on the sidelines. Penn State stood at the brink of a signature win, and Allar had a chance at redemption on the big stage. 

In one of the worst offensive showings in recent Penn State memory, the Nittany Lions came up extremely flat. Allar threw for just 70 yards in that game, and once again caved when the lights were brightest. 

Following the game, Yurcich would be fired by Penn State. He was very close with Allar, and played a big role in his recruiting. His departure marked the end of an era for Allar, but began one that many believed would be full of great potential.

In the final two games of the season, a matchup with Michigan State at Ford Field, and the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss, Allar threw for nearly 300 yards in each of these outings. However, he had some questionable throws in Atlanta, and Penn State fell to the Rebels.

A season that started out with so much hope ended in disappointment.

Allar’s second year under center featured the best Penn State football season in twenty years. The school brought in Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas to lead the offense, a coach known for explosive plays and creativity. 

While Allar’s stats certainly took a step forward in his junior year campaign, a breakout season by Tyler Warren deserves much of the credit. In a game against USC, Allar threw for 391 yards, 224 of those going to the senior tight end.

Backup quarterback Beau Pribula shared some of the snaps with Allar throughout the season, as Kotelnicki implemented a unique system that often led to both signal-callers seeing the field simultaneously. 

In a primetime game against Wisconsin on the road, Allar suffered an injury that sidelined him for the second half. Pribula entered the game and led the Nittany Lions to victory. Quarterback controversy only grew from there.

Pribula reminded a lot of Penn Staters of beloved quarterback Trace McSorley. He wasn’t flashy, but he was gritty and fans could tell he would do anything to win. While this wasn’t not the case for Allar, he just had a different way of showing it that didn’t resonate as much with a lot of people.

Over time, Beaver Stadium was filled with “we want Beau” chants, a stark difference from the chants that were ringing out just two years earlier.

As the season continued, the Nittany Lions dropped a very winnable game to Ohio State, in which playcalling once again seemed to be the issue. Penn State was unable to punch it in on four tries inside the five yard line, and it would go on to lose by a touchdown. In the two games against ranked opponents thus far in the season, Allar threw for a combined 281 yards.

Despite the loss, the Nittany Lions would later find themselves in the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 2016 in a game against the Oregon Ducks. And for the first time in his Penn State career, Allar showed flashes of his potential against the No. 1 team in the nation. 

The blue and white had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter after mounting a late comeback. But on second down, a long throw by Allar was picked off, and Oregon would walk away as champions. Even though the Nittany Lions would fail to win the big game once again, they would find themselves in the College Football Playoff. And Drew Allar was the one to lead them there.

The Nittany Lions won the first two games of the playoff rather convincingly. The defense made a statement in both, led by star defensive end Abdul Carter. 

Then came the Notre Dame game.

Penn State stood at the precipice of a National Championship appearance. It jumped out to an early 10-0 lead. While the Fighting Irish were able to tie the score, Penn State had the ball late in the fourth quarter, and a real chance to win the Orange Bowl. The ball, and the fate of the program, was in Allar’s hands.

Most know what happens next. Allar threw an interception after attempting a pass off his back foot that he probably shouldn’t have tried. Notre Dame would take over possession in Penn State territory, and Mitch Jeter would kick the game winning field goal to send his team to the title game. 

Heartbreak. Allar, once known for his perfect interception rate, was now responsible for two crucial ones to end the season with trophies on the line.

Following the season, a lot was unknown. Allar, along with a lot of talented players, had the potential to enter the draft. But after a series of announcements that the majority of these players would return to Happy Valley, the goal was clear: National Championship, or bust.

With Allar entering his senior season, he seemed to have all the tools necessary to finally excel. Penn State went out and got him three new wide receivers in the transfer portal, something he was lacking in 2024. Beau Pribula had transferred to Missouri at the end of the season, ending any notion that Allar would not be the guy going forward. The team hired Jim Knowles as the defensive coordinator. Needless to say, Franklin and his squad were “all in.”

The season began with a lackluster start. Penn State played three games against non-Power 4 schools, and looked rather underwhelming in all three. But the big prize of the regular season still remained. Penn State would take on Oregon in the White Out, marking the most anticipated game in the team’s most anticipated season in quite some time. 

The team fell behind 17-3, and Allar was getting booed throughout the game by fans. But a deep bomb to Devonte Ross brought the Nittany Lions back within a touchdown, and Penn State later tied the score to send it to overtime. After both teams scored in the first overtime, Penn State found itself playing from behind in the second.

On Penn State’s first offensive play in double overtime, Allar once again threw an interception to end the game. It felt as if he, and the team, would never be able to get over the hump. This game was a gut punch on so many levels, and it was evident by what transpired the two weeks following the loss.

Penn State went on to lose to two of the worst teams in the Power 4: UCLA and Northwestern. In a game against the Wildcats, Beaver Stadium felt different. The vibe was off, the boo birds were flying, and the offense and defense looked sub-par to say the least. 

And then, in a heartbeat, everything changed. Allar went down with what we now know to be a season, and career, ending injury. Just like that, the Drew Allar era was over. All the promise, and National Championship aspirations, were now squandered. Life happens fast, but this was an emotional end to a young man’s career that showed so much potential. The next day, Franklin was relieved of his duties as Head Coach of the Nittany Lion football team.

Despite not living up to the hype he received as a recruit, Allar was a true Penn Stater. There was no one who wanted it more than him. He represented the university with humility, and was the epitome of someone who demonstrated success with honor. Allar could have declared for the NFL draft last season, and likely would have been a first round pick. But he decided to return in hopes of bringing glory to the blue and white. 

Let me be very clear. Penn State failed Drew Allar. He gifted Penn State arm talent like the program hasn’t seen in years, and it returned the favor by giving him an offense that wasn’t compatible with his style, no star wide receivers, and few chances to show off the player he truly was. 

Though he will be remembered by many for his failure to live up to the high expectations of the fanbase, Allar is leaving Penn State with the highest quarterback rating in program history, and the first quarterback to lead the team to the College Football Playoff semifinal.

From a magical night in September of 2023, to an emotional, cloudy afternoon in October of 2025, Allar has written the final page of his Penn State chapter. There is no doubt that people will look back on Allar’s time here with mixed feelings. The man who was once seen as the savior of Penn State football will leave behind a legacy defined by what could have been.  

The age of Drew Allar is over. A new dawn will rise. And as has been the case for the past 40 years, a new quarterback in Happy Valley will inherit the dream to accomplish what his predecessor could not. We must look back on Allar’s time here with appreciation for all he gave to the university and with perspective on the humanity of it all.

Welcome to the Ethan Grunkemeyer Era.