The Numbers Behind Exactly How Drew Allar Has Been “Unlocked” in 2024

Penn State Football fans have been hearing for four weeks now that Drew Allar has been “unlocked” in 2024 under Andy Kotelnicki’s offense for the Nittany Lions.

But outside of the “aura” of Allar stiff-arming WVU’s Josiah Trotter or barking at the refs over calls, what do the numbers say about Drew Allar’s progression in 2024 so far?

Overall, the numbers show exactly that, that Drew Allar is playing “unlocked” at an entirely new level in 2024. Here’s a breakdown of some of the numbers behind this:

Drew Allar’s Yards per attempt

This is the most dramatic change from Drew Allar’s game from 2023 to 2024. In 2023,

Allar passed for only 6.8 yards per attempt on the season (80^th nationally among quarterbacks). In 2024, Allar has boosted this to almost double his 2023 number to 12.6 yards per attempt, ranking second nationally behind only Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. This change has been evident as Allar has not been hesitant to push the ball downfield and look for deep targets.

Completion percentage

Drew Allar, Penn State Football — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw in the first half of an NCAA football game against Kent State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in State College, Pa.

Allar struggled on the road last season, often completing less than 50 percent of his passes. As such, Allar’s completion percentage for 2023 was only 59.9 percent, ranking 76^th nationally among qualifying quarterbacks.

In 2024, Allar has improved his accuracy, and his completion percentage has skyrocketed to 70.7 percent through three games this season. His 70.7 completion percentage this season ranks 14^th nationally and seventh in the Big Ten. If Allar can continue this for the rest of the season, Allar (60.9 percent so far in his career) would shatter Sean Clifford’s career completion percentage record (61.4 percent).

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Touchdown percentage

Penn State Football, Drew Allar — Aug 31, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass to Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III (6) for a touchdown during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Another astonishing change from last season is the touchdown percentage rate for Allar in 2024.

In 2023, Allar passed for a touchdown on 6.4 percent of his passes. Allar’s 6.4 percent ranked 27^th nationally in 2023. Through three games in 2024, Allar has passed for a touchdown on an astonishing 13.8 percent of his passes. The 13.8 percent ranks first in the Big Ten and third nationally among qualifying quarterbacks.

This again highlights Allar’s willingness to let the ball fly down the field and look for deep targets.

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Drew Allar Rushing yards per attempt; rushing yards per game

Another surprising change to Allar’s game this season has been his increased mobility and willingness to pick up first downs with his legs.

In 2023, Allar rushed for 2.8 yards per attempt and 15.8 yards per game. In 2024, Allar has increased both of these to 4.3 yards per attempt and 25.7 yards per game. At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Allar is still not an overly pretty runner and will never be a run first quarterback. However, his increased mobility has helped the Nittany Lions offense stay on the field as he has picked up a few extra first downs with his legs each game.

Allar’s mobility in the pocket also has helped avoid pressure behind a mostly new offensive line and bye time to find open players downfield. Through three games, Allar has rushed for half of his season total in touchdowns (4 in 2023 and 2 in 2024) so far this season.

Allar has been playing at a different level this season than Penn State fans have seen in the past. The question is now whether these changes will continue once Penn State starts Big Ten play against better defenses this season.

If Allar continues this level of play moving forward, Penn State fans should enjoy the show because Allar will be heading to the NFL draft next April.