Penn State football’s 2025 season has been rough on everybody, but it’s been particularly cruel to star quarterback Drew Allar.

The Medina, Ohio, native went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Penn State’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern on October 11. He went down on a 1-yard scramble up the middle on 3rd-and-4 on Penn State’s final drive of the game and was carted off once he reached the sideline. With Allar out of eligibility, that play was also the last of his Penn State career.

James Franklin was fired the following day.

Allar spoke to the media for the first time since his injury over Zoom on Thursday. Here’s a rundown of what he said.

On His Injury & Rehab

Allar said he had successful surgery on his left ankle, but didn’t provide a timeline to return. He said he’s off to a really good start with the help of Penn State’s athletic team and coaches. He also expressed gratitude to his parents, agent, and teammates for making it an easy transition and staying alongside him.

“Fortunately enough, my injury, although it’s going to take time to heal, it’s not the most significant injury in the world,” Allar said. “There’s guys that have suffered a lot worse injuries than me, and I’ll be able to make a full recovery. I’m excited for that process.”

He said the whole experience also changed his perspective on quarterbacking as a whole.

“I can’t really have a playing mindset as much as I want to have a playing mindset. So, it’s really just shifting my perspective on everything, and just seeing in a different way than I have before,” Allar said. “For me now, I’m able to see things from a 30,000-foot view instead of maybe a 1,000-foot view, just because I’m not the one that’s taking every snap.”

Allar said he’s been able to see other offensive operations on the field from the sideline, better understanding all of the moving parts. He’s making the most of learning more of the game through his injury.

Allar said he’s taking recovery a day at a time and not jumping forward to Pro Day, NFL Combine dates, or preparation just yet. He’s already been studying a lot of NFL tape to get in the mindset of an NFL quarterback, though.

“I think my best football is ahead of me. I think, honestly, this injury might be a blessing for me, just to be able to kind of sit back and reflect on different things and just learn different things,” Allar said.

On James Franklin’s Firing & Hiring

Allar said Franklin was with him in the hospital the night of his injury as more imaging came through to determine the severity. Franklin was fired less than 24 hours later.

“That was probably one of the worst weekends of my life,” Allar said. “To bounce back from it, I just stuck to my circle between my teammates here at Penn State and my family back home.”

Allar recalled being in the team meeting on Sunday morning when Franklin broke the news to the team.

“It was a very fast flip of the switch, honestly. It still doesn’t feel real, to some extent… It was a crazy, really, 72 hours, in all honesty, between that Saturday to really Monday. But, it’s just dealing with it and taking it a day at a time.”

Allar said he and Franklin have talked every other day, if not every day, since both of their Penn State careers came to an end. He reiterated that he still holds a great relationship with Franklin, and he wishes him the best in Franklin’s new endeavor at Virginia Tech.

“He’s gonna do a great job at Virginia Tech. I think it’s a great spot for him. I’m very excited to see what he does,” Allar said. “Very happy for him and his family. They’ve done a great amount for me and my teammates, obviously, but I have a really good relationship with all of them.”

Allar concluded by saying he’s looking forward to keeping in touch with Franklin as he gets settled in his new job.

On Continuing To Be Around The Team

Allar traveled with the team to Ohio State and Michigan State. He was seen with a scooter in Columbus and upgraded to crutches in East Lansing. The quarterback got throws in with the rest of the room and was a presence on the sideline as his teammates battled on the field.

“There was kind of two things for me. For me, selfishly, I felt like I needed to be around the team for my own sake, honestly,” Allar said. “I didn’t want to leave the guys, really leave the coaches, just because I knew what kind of situation we were in. And I have so much respect for obviously all the staff and players, and wanted to be there for them.”

Allar said he wanted to pump some energy into the team going into some tough environments and be a positive presence to help the team find a way to win.

On Ethan Grunkemeyer

One of Allar’s main reasons for being on the sideline was to be there for Ethan Grunkemeyer, who was thrown into the QB1 spot after Allar went down. Allar wanted to coach him up and be a resource for the redshirt freshman going into the heart of Penn State’s schedule.

“He’s made really, really good strides. I think you can kind of see that, and just if you turn on the film, and regardless of what the stats say, if you just turn on the film and watch his first start from Iowa to last week, you can see the growth every week,” Allar said. “I think he’s made a handful of big-time throws, especially off our play-pass game. It’s been really cool to see the offense unfold with him at the helm.”

He added that he sits down and watches film with Grunkemeyer as much as he can throughout the week.

On Penn State’s Season

Allar’s injury came at a time when Penn State’s season already seemed lost. A White Out loss to Oregon that ended in a heartbreaking Allar interception, an embarrassing loss to a previously winless UCLA, and a one-point drop to the Wildcats, with Allar going down. It felt like an all-time low for the program in a season with national championship aspirations.

“For us as a collective group, obviously, we fell short of our ultimate goals. But, I don’t think that really underlines how much success we really have had here,” Allar said. “We’ve been a part of a lot of things. A lot of highs, some lows, obviously. But that’s kind of the game of football and the game of life.”

Allar said his favorite part of this season has been deepening his relationship with coaches and teammates and simply enjoying the ride. While the season didn’t follow preseason expectations, there’s nothing the team can do besides block out the noise and learn as much as they can from the hard times.

Despite this, Allar still feels guilt towards his role in Penn State’s season.

“We wouldn’t be in this position if I found ways to make more plays throughout the game… Going back to the Oregon game, if I find different ways to get going early or make the game finish a different way at the end of the game, I think that kind of changes our outlook on the season,” Allar said.

Yet, Allar knows that’s just football. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it, and you can’t do anything but regroup and learn.