The Drew Allar era has come to a close for Penn State football, as the three-year starting quarterback will depart Happy Valley and turn his attention to the 2026 NFL Draft. After being viewed by many as the man who would inevitably take the Nittany Lions to the next step, Allar left a lot to be desired over the course of his college career. Despite this, he has proven time and again that he has the tools and arm talent needed to excel at a professional level.

The Medina, Ohio, native achieved five-star status following his commitment to Penn State back in 2021 after holding three-star standing during his recruitment process. The young signal caller’s stock rapidly increased as he progressed through high school, graduating as the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class, and No. 3 player overall, per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

“Owns excellent size with prototypical build of a big-bodied pro-style quarterback. Arm strength reflects those physical tools,” scouting analyst Gabe Brooks had said of Allar. “Ball gets out fast despite long-levered build. Displays big-armed vertical juice with terrific velocity in short-to-intermediate situations. Knows how and when to vary zip and does so from myriad arm angles with impressive playmaking creativity.”

Although rarely credited with being a major dual-threat athlete, Allar had drawn comparisons to Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills for both his stature and playstyle.

The quarterback made his Penn State debut against Purdue in primetime, stepping in briefly after Sean Clifford suffered a minor knee injury. Over the course of 10 appearances, he threw for a total of 344 yards and four touchdowns with an average completion percentage of 58.3, burning his redshirt in the process.

He entered his sophomore season having earned the starting role with little competition. In his highly anticipated first start, Allar showed glimpses of immense promise, throwing for three touchdowns and 325 yards, a number that would ultimately be the second highest of his collegiate career. He set an FBS record for 311 passing attempts without an interception as well, a statistical category that ultimately grew to become his fatal flaw.

In Allar’s junior season with the program, he took clear leaps and bounds, but still appeared to be limited by an offense based heavily on checkdowns and a lack of a vertical passing attack. The emergence of Tyler Warren also boosted Allar’s numbers significantly.

After helping lead the Nittany Lions to a National Semifinal berth at the end of the 2024 season, Allar announced that he would return to State College for his senior season. A year that started with National Championship expectations quickly spiraled out of control. The former five-star eventually suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the fourth quarter of the Northwestern game. 

Allar received an invite to the NFL Combine, giving scouts their first chance to watch the quarterback in nearly five months. Before his injury, Allar was projected to be a top-five selection in the NFL Draft. He was, and still is, seen as a very moldable talent, and teams showed interest in picking him high up on the board if he had declared following his junior year.

According to Jobe Morrison of Yahoo Sports, Allar did just that, emerging as the “biggest winner” following a strong throwing performance. 

His athleticism score of 69 and production score of 73 each ranked sixth among quarterbacks, with his total score of 72 slotting him in at ninth. While he did not participate in any drills outside of throwing, he successfully showcased his arm talent.

“Allar looks the part with prototypical size and an effortless arm that can make any NFL throw. However, inconsistent touch and ball placement are a major hindrance. In big moments and big games, he hasn’t proven he can rise to the occasion or sustain efficiency,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said.

This trait of not showing up in big moments was something that defined the latter half of Allar’s time as a Nittany Lion. He threw a crucial interception in the Big Ten Championship, College Football Playoff Semifinal, and White Out game that ultimately cost the team in all three.  

Zierlein views Allar as a fourth-round draft pick and sees him filling in as an “average backup with high-end traits.”

ESPN’s Jordan Reid sees Allar going as high as late day two and views him as the fifth-best quarterback in his class, just behind Carson Beck. He believes Allar is best suited for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which would place the quarterback less than an hour away from his hometown.

“Allar has prototypical size and arm strength. He’s an above-average intermediate passer who isn’t afraid to test tight windows and can accurately hit routes in between the numbers,” Reid said. “He exhausts progressions and delivers to targets, and he has more than enough arm strength to succeed at the next level. He also has the mobility to navigate the pocket and gain yardage that’s available.”

While Allar remains perhaps the biggest question mark regarding draft positioning, he will look to break the cold streak of Nittany Lion quarterbacks in the NFL. He departs Penn State holding the record for completion percentage at 63.2, and will aim to bring that level of consistency to an NFL organization in need of an offensive spark.

He and the rest of his eligible Penn State teammates will hope to hear their names called at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The draft is set to run from April 23 to 25. Folks can follow along on ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, and ESPN Deportes.