Penn State Football's Drew Allar Named One of Most Important Players in 2024

Penn State sophomore quarterback Drew Allar leads the team into Beaver Stadium before the Blue-White game on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in State College.

Allar’s performance is not just a factor but a pivotal one in the Nittany Lions‘ journey to the College Football Playoff. As the top pocket passer in the 2022 recruiting class, his strong arm and running abilities are a relied-upon asset.

“It was easy to see how signing Allar might,” Bill Connelly writes for ESPN. “represent the best possible chance for Penn State to make the long-elusive leap from very good to elite. He was the No. 1 pocket-passer prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, he has the requisite cannon arm, and James Franklin also signed two stud running backs (Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen) in the same class. When the backs shined as freshmen and Allar took over behind center in 2023, it seemed like a chance to raise the Nittany Lions’ ceiling. Instead, they fell from 14th to 30th in offensive SP+ and changed offensive coordinators.

“Now it’s Andy Kotelnicki’s job to try to coax megaproduction out of Allar and company. Penn State’s stuck in familiar territory at the moment — the Lions won double-digit games five times in the past seven full seasons (with top-10 SP+ rankings), but they’ve lost three straight to Michigan and seven straight to Ohio State. Getting over the hump has been an elusive prospect. But Allar still has a cannon arm, and Kotelnicki produced nearly elite QB play out of two different Kansas quarterbacks in the past two years. Is now (finally) the time?”

Last season, Allar passed for 2,631 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. While his ability to avoid turnovers is excellent, his average of 6.8 yards per pass indicates a need to push the ball downfield more aggressively.

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Why 2024 Can Be Different for Penn State QB Drew Allar

With the arrival of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, we can expect a shift in Allar‘s playing style.

Training camp will be the first stage of this exciting transformation.

By being more aggressive in pushing the ball downfield, Allar can create more opportunities for Penn State receivers, even in one-on-one coverage, sparking excitement for the upcoming season.

Under Kotelnicki, the Kansas Jayhawks’ offense averaged 9.4 yards per pass.

It will be up to Kotelnicki to get the most out of Allar, as teams will stack the box to stop the Nittany Lions’ rushing attack with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

For the downfield passes to be successful, the Nittany Lions receivers will need to get open and create separation from defenders. Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming and Harrison Wallace III will play key roles as receivers this season.

Penn State must show they can beat Michigan and Ohio State; they have lost three straight to Michigan and seven straight to Ohio State.

Although the Wolverines are not on the schedule this season, Ohio State is. Allar’s talents should be unlocked with a new offense, and Penn State should have a successful season.