James Franklin Selects Backup QB, What it Means For Penn State Football vs. Nevada
In the last practice with media availability before Penn State Football kicks off the 2025 season Saturday against Nevada, head coach James Franklin answered questions about the Penn State roster and the depth chart for the Nittany Lions‘ first game of the season.
After weeks of describing Penn State’s backup quarterback battle as too close to call, Franklin finally made an announcement regarding the position heading into week one.
“Grunk, Grunk for week one.” Franklin noted that consistency played a role in redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer getting the backup quarterback nod for week one against Nevada over redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik.
“[Grunkemeyer] was just a little more consistent from the beginning of camp to the end,” Franklin stated in his answer.
Further into his answer, Franklin iterated that the decision for Grunkemeyer to backup starting quarterback Drew Allar was a decision for week one and not necessarily for the entire season.
Instead, Franklin expects the backup quarterback battle to continue throughout the season, week to week, between Grunkemeyer and Smolik.
What Ethan Grunkemeyer Decision Means for Penn State Football
While the backup quarterback role is less important than a decision about a starting position on the team, due to the Nittany Lions’ schedule, the decision could have more of an impact than a casual fan may expect.
With the Nittany Lions playing one of the weakest non-conference schedules in the country, the expectation for the Nittany Lions will be to dominate opponents before pulling starters and working through depth players for the second half of games.
If the Nittany Lions are able to take care of business as expected Saturday, Ethan Grunkemeyer should see his second collegiate appearance somewhat early in the matchup against Nevada.
This will give Grunkemeyer valuable game reps against a real opponent that the Nittany Lions can turn back to later in the season if Allar ever misses time due to injury (as he did last season against Wisconsin).
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Looking Ahead to Penn State’s QB Future
Grunkemeyer’s position as the backup quarterback for week one also gives him a leg up on the early battle for the starting position next season for the Nittany Lions, as Drew Allar will exhaust his eligibility this season and is expected to be an early NFL draft pick next April.
No matter how the season goes for Allar and the Nittany Lions, James Franklin and company will be looking for a new starter next season. Seeing Grunkemeyer (and potentially Smolik) in the first few weeks of the season will help the coaching staff assess what they have at the position for when Allar can no longer remain under center for the Nittany Lions.
Nittany Lions fans should expect to see quite a bit of Ethan Grunkemeyer this Saturday as Penn State is a 45.5-point favorite against Nevada.
If all goes according to plan, Grunkemeyer should be leading the offense in the second half and will have the opportunity to expand upon his two career pass attempts.
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- James Franklin Selects Backup QB, What it Means For Penn State Football vs. Nevada - August 27, 2025
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