Drew Allar has carried the heavy tag of ‘next big thing’ for years at Penn State. Standing 6 feet 5 inches, Allar first walked into Happy Valley with his high school accolades and a magnificent quarterback frame. He has been with the program for the last three seasons. But its really over the last two years that fans finally got a taste of what he can do. His crucial contributions helped James Franklin’s team finish the season with 13 wins. However, they lost the conference championship game against Oregon (37-45) and even the Orange Bowl game against Notre Dame (24-27).
Being Penn State’s QB1, a lot was riding on Drew Allar’s shoulders. The responsibility? Bring home either the Big Ten title or the national championship. But when it mattered the most, he fell short, and that’s when the questions were asked. And now? Things seem to have changed for him. According to NFL draft analyst Steve Muench, there is a quarterback in the SEC program who is ahead of him. It’s a huge drop down for the Nittany Lions’ quarterback, as there was a time when he was regarded as the top NFL-calibre signal-caller. And now, there are doubts about him even hanging with the new and young college football quarterbacks.
“I think Drew Allar has the lowest floor,” Todd McShay said during The McShay Show. And Steve Muench, who joined McShay in the show, straightaway agreed, saying, “We agree. Yeah, because for [LaNorris] Sellers, you could say that he is not as developed as Allar, and I get that. But Sellers always has that strength and mobility to lean on.” Muench said. He shockingly ranked Allar low in his list while breaking down the upcoming QB class. And he didn’t just throw his opinion, he came up with a brutal but honest assessment of the Nittany Lions’ star QB’s flaws.
Allar had a great 2023 season, where he threw for 2,631 yards, 25 touchdowns and and only two interceptions. However, he had an even better season in 2024, racking up 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. And that’s where the problem arises. The interceptions. That’s a quadrupling of his 2023 season’s turnover. It may not look like a disastrous number, but Todd McShay shed light on it and explained why it is troubling.
“His inability to accurately throw to receivers that are running away from him, to visualize it, to lead receivers open is concerning,” McShay said. “Then you add the fact of the lack of mobility in today’s day and age. He’s the number one prospect, right? He doesn’t have the mobility and the ability, as a result to get himself out of as much trouble. Especially when you’re young and you don’t have all the answers to the test at the line of scrimmage and post-snap. So, I worry about that with Allar,” he added. According to McShay, having a big frame and high school accolades doesn’t guarantee your excellence. The competition is different in college football, where an even shorter-framed guy can outperform you, so Allar definitely needs to work on his mobility.
It’s possible that underlying concerns played a role in Allar being left out of this prestigious QB event.
Allar slipping, Sellars rising, and a snub says it all
Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 242 pounds, Sellers moves quite smoothly, and we witnessed that last season. Playing as South Carolina’s starting QB, Sellers racked up 2,534 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The numbers are not quite as high as Drew Allar achieved last season, but it’s not just about numbers; it’s about how you move, how you deliver, and execute. That’s where Sellers has beaten Allar. But that just not it, there’s another thing that left the fans scratching their heads.
One major snub is at the heart of it all. Allar didn’t get an invite to the prestigious Manning Passing Academy, and that raised some serious eyebrows in scouting circles. While the nation’s top quarterbacks were in Louisiana gaining knowledge and showing their skills, Allar was noticeably absent. This shocking revelation was made by analyst Todd McShay.
“I also want to know why the he– he isn’t down in Tippido, Louisiana? because I’ve heard reasons why that I will not share, because I only share things that I confirm and know for a fact. But like, why? It’s been a few years since different opportunities. It’s not the coaching staff. So there’s just some stuff that’s concerning there.” McShay said. Whatever the reason but Allar’s absence from the Manning Passing Academy is indeed a concerning thing, especially since other top QBs made the trip without hesitation.
However, there’s another concern for him, and that is the fans’ expectations and silencing critics. There are a lot of quality QBs who will be showing up in the upcoming season, like Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik, Bryce Underwood, and others, so it’s going to be pretty tough for Drew Allar to prove himself, but it’s now or never.
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