The Drew Allar era officially came to a close on Friday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the former Penn State quarterback with the 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Following his selection, Penn State’s associate head coach Terry Smith appeared on 93.7 The Fan to offer Steelers fans insight on Allar and the former regime.

“I’ve been known as the truth-teller here at Penn State. And unfairly to Drew, our system wasn’t built for him; it wasn’t made for him. Some of the decisions were taken out of his control,” Smith said on Monday.

As a five-star signal caller out of Medina, Ohio, Allar possessed elite traits and a prototypical build for the position. However, throughout his three seasons as a starter, there was often a palpable disconnect between Allar and the offense. Some blame the lack of surrounding playmaking talent, while others point to coaching.

It’s impossible to pinpoint it exactly, but Smith’s defense of Allar indirectly casts a spotlight on potentially wider issues that might have plagued Franklin’s program. After all, many believe Allar’s best game was his first career start against West Virginia in 2023.

While Allar’s chapter in Happy Valley had its ups, it’s hard not to feel a general sense of disappointment stemming from last fall’s catastrophic underachievement, as well as the Nittany Lion offense’s shared inconsistencies.

Even with the promising overhaul of the Penn State coaching staff and roster, there is an undeniable “what-if?” surrounding Allar and his units that will linger for the foreseeable future.

Was Allar’s true talent constricted by the previous regime’s conservative playstyle?