Penn State fans would love it if QB Drew Allar played well enough in 2024 to be selected in the first round of the 2025 draft.
A certainly portion of Penn State fans would be especially thrilled if an analyst’s way-too-early 2025 mock draft proved to be true.
The 2024 draft just ended, and eight Penn State players were selected, so it is indeed way too early to talk too seriously about 2025
But it’s never too early to have a little fun.
Marcus Mosher of the 33rd Team appears to think the Russell Wilson and Justin Fields experiment is going to be an absolute disaster, as he has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at 19th overall in his way-too-early 2025 mock draft.
Drew Allar had a lot of success in his first full year as a starter at Penn State, throwing 25 touchdowns to just two interceptions. But the Nittany Lions need him to deliver more in big games. If he can do that in 2024, he should be a lock first-round pick,” Mosher wrote.
Wilson is on a one-year veteran minimum deal, and it’s not expectedthat the Steelers will place the fifth-year option on Fields. The Steelers could look to extend Fields’ contract in other ways besides the fifth-year option, which is built into the rookie contract of every first-round draft pick.
The amount of the option is determined by a formula, and in the case of Fields, would cost the Steelers $25 million in guaranteed money to keep him around for 2025. At 35, Wilson is pretty much a stopgap quarterback. If the Steelers want their quarterback of the future, they better hope Fields rises to the occasion and supplants Wilson as the starter. Fields is 10 years younger and has a lot more upside.
If Fields struggles, however, Allar certainly could be on the table for the Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Allar’s first season as the Nittany Lions’ full-time starter in 2023 was rather impressive, completing 59.9% of his passes for 2,631 yards, 25 touchdowns compared to 2 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 136.9.
Allar’s numbers could have been even better, but an inefficient offensive coordinator and a weak supporting cast held him back from reaching his full potential.
Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focusnamed Allar the eighth-best returning quarterback for the 2024 season.
Allar’s placement on this list will no doubt be a controversial one, as many were disappointed by the sophomore’s numbers this season. What the box score won’t tell you though is how hamstrung he was by his supporting cast,” Chadwick wrote. “Penn State’s receivers had the fifth-highest drop rate in the Power Five this past season (10.8%). Allar was also under pressure within 2.5 seconds on 21.3% of his dropbacks this year. The only other quarterback on this list who had a higher rate was Shedeur Sanders (22.1%), and his offensive line’s woes have been well-documented. Despite having one of the strongest arms in the nation, Allar had the second-lowest deep pass attempt rate in all of college football (10.3%). His offensive coordinator, Mike Yurcich, was fired in November.
Despite so much working against him, Allar’s 86.3 PFF grade was still a top-20 mark among all quarterbacks in the nation. He took care of the football at an elite rate, his 1.1% turnover-worthy play rate trailed only Bo Nix among FBS signal-callers. Allar should be a much better fit in new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. At Kansas this past season, Kotelnicki’s offense was third in the Power Five in average depth of target (12.3 yards) while the Jayhawks tied for second in the FBS for receiving grade (89.0).
“If Penn State’s supporting cast is elevated by Kotelnicki’s arrival, Allar has the requisite talent to climb this list and be one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.”
