Every winter during winter conditioning workouts, the Penn State Football coaching staff awards one player per day at each position group with a “competitor of the day” title, recognizing that player’s effort and work during the workout.

After three workouts, redshirt sophomore quarterback Beau Pribula has swept all three workouts.

 

Pribula ultimately beat out 2023 starting quarterback Drew Allar and the other two members of the quarterback room.

The question now becomes, is there something more to take from this than just winning the workouts?

Could Penn State have a quarterback controversy heading into spring ball after Allar started all 13 games for Penn State last season?

What Beau Pribula’s offseason means for Penn State Football’s QB position

 

It is no secret inside the Penn State football building that Beau Pribula is the better overall athlete than Drew Allar, despite Allar’s heralded five-star recruiting status.

In shorts and a t-shirt, Pribula’s speed and agility can be put on display, allowing him to shine in the winter workout format.

Last season, former Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich recognized Pribula as the competitor of the day on four of the six winter workouts where he posted a winner.

The workouts allow what Beau does best, athleticism, to show through, the same athleticism that earned him his own package last season.

However, despite Beau’s freak athleticism in shorts and a t-shirt, these workout wins likely don’t come close to creating a quarterback controversy. In 2023, Allar set an NCAA record for the most career passes without throwing an interception (311), finished second in the country in touchdown-to-interception ratio (12.5), and tied for the Big Ten lead in passing touchdowns (25).

Beau Pribula earned his time on the field last season with his ability to rush the football, running for 329 yards and six touchdowns on 56 total rushes in 2023. Penn State even created a special package to get Pribula on the field with Allar in 2023, with limited success.

The staff last season, however, did not seem to trust Pribula to throw the ball, attempting only 21 total passes in 2023 for Penn State.

Even after taking over for an injured Allar against Rutgers, Pribula only attempted one pass, with the Penn State staff choosing to run the football on 21 of Penn State’s final 22 plays after Allar’s injury.

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How James Franklin Could Use Beau Pribula in 2024

 

Instead of starting a quarterback controversy, the Competitor of The Day awards should show continued recognition of Pribula’s importance to the Penn State football team as the backup quarterback and the need to get him on the field in running situations in the Pribula package.

New Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has had success in the past, including at his last stop at Kansas, with two quarterbacks, including having both quarterbacks on the field at the same time.

With Pribula’s freakish athleticism, Penn State could see a return to the “lion” position held by former Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens, which saw Stevens rack up 304 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 506 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 62 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns in the Lion position for three years at Penn State.

Beau Pribula’s athleticism is a real weapon for Penn State and the staff should do everything in their power, outside of naming Pribula the starting quarterback, to exploit this athleticism in Penn State’s offense in 2024.

MORE: Previewing Penn State’s Preseason RB Competition

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