PASADENA, C.A.— Everybody talks about freshman QB Drew Allar and has been since well before he made his PSU debut.
He’s the quarterback of the future, they say.
More than that, he’s supposed to be Penn State football’s second coming.
The excitement is more than understandable. Five-star quarterbacks don’t come along often, and there are plays from Allar’s film— many in high school and some from his true freshmen season at Penn State— that suggest that there’s substance to the hype.
Yes, people have said and written a lot about the baby-faced kid from Medina, Ohio. But Allar hasn’t been able to say anything to Penn State’s or anybody else reporters since becoming a Nittany Lion. Penn State’s policy is that true freshmen are not made available to media.
Monday’s Rose Bowl game against Utah will be Allar’s 13th as Penn State’s backup and could well be the last. Barring something unforeseen, Allar will be the team’s starter in 2023 and ‘24. Then, if things go well, he’ll be in the NFL, possibly as a high-first-round pick. Two days before the “Granddaddy of Them All,” the PSU freshman QB sensation Allar had his first media session since coming to Penn State.
ON HIS COLLEGE DEBUT AT PURDUE
“It was definitely a surreal experience to be able to go in that type of game because it was still close at that point. So I think it just really benefitted me and just how much experience I gained from that.”
ON HOW HE HANDLED THE BACKUP ROLE
“I think I handled it pretty well. Every game that I was able to get in (nine of 12), I was just trying to eliminate mistakes and have more positives. I feel like just learning from (Starting QB) Sean (Clifford) and (offensive coordinator/QBs coach) Mike Yurcich and coach (James) Franklin, everybody in the quarterback room. They helped all of us throughout the year. Just gain more positives and eliminate the negatives.”
ON HIS BOND WITH FELLOW FRESHMAN QB BEAU PRIBULA
“Yeah, I think we have a really strong relationship. I think stepping in together really benefitted both of us because we were able to learn from each other… we were able to learn everything together and study together.”
ON YURCICH
“He pushes all of us in the room; I mean, he’s very demanding of us. That’s what I really liked about him throughout the recruiting process because I wanted to go somewhere where I’d be pushed and be taught everything. So I feel like it’s the same guy that recruited me, and I’m super glad I came here.”
ON PEOPLE’S HIGH HOPES FOR HIM
“The expectations are cool, but nobody has higher expectations for me than myself, just because I have a lot of goals and aspirations that I want to chase throughout my life, and I’m super excited that I came here. I feel like this place can really help all of us achieve our goals and expectations.”
ON CLIFFORD’S ADVICE
“First and foremost, he just says to block (the noise) out. Because I mean, nothing matters other than how the team feels about you and how to coaching staff feels about you… I feel like Sean has done a great job for all of us in the room and all the freshmen just because of how much experience he has with everything, being here for six years, a starter for four. I feel like we all from his advice.”
