Penn State QB Drew Allar is about to finish his last spring season, and as always, he had plenty of goals going into it.
Of course, the ultimate goal is to lead PSU to a national title, which no Penn State QB has done since John Shaffer in 1986.
This PSU team has a good chance to do that. Maybe the best chance since the undefeated boys of ’94.
But before that, Allar and his teammates had to work all spring. Allar talked to reporters via Zoom Tuesday about what his biggest goal was and how he feels he did in accomplishing it.
WHAT ALLAR SAID
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Drew Allar
For Allar, the biggest goal was to find a positive routine.
“I have a lot of goals that I had for myself. My biggest was, I mean, honestly, consistency, just with everything I do. Between routine, before practice, post-practice and just the way I operate throughout practice. I think I’ve done a good job of that so far. I’m always trying to continue to build my leadership vocally and just doing what I can to put myself in uncomfortable sports to be able to grow more. I think I’ve done a good job with that so far and it’s something that I’m always going to keep grinding at just because it doesn’t come naturally to me at times. So, you know, just keep trying to better myself through those kinds of things. So there’s a lot of things that I’ve been proud of throughout this spring cycle. But I’m excited to rewatch all this spring after it’s done and also learn what I need to get better at after this summer and fall camp.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION
Photo by Jordan Leneberg, Nittany Sports Now: Drew Allar
The biggest question people are asking about Allar won’t be answered in spring practice or in the ensuing months. That question is: Can he perform in big games?
There’s evidence that he can: his game-tying drive against USC in Cali lost October was big-time.
But late interceptions in the Big Ten Championship Game against Oregon and the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame were the opposite of that.
There’s only so much a player can do on the practice field in March that could prepare them for college football’s brightest lights but the first step for Allar was getting over the Orange Bowl.
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“It was a long week, for sure,” Allar said. “Just with everything that happened. Just with all of the stuff that was out of my control. I was just not in a good state the week after. But, honestly, when I stepped back in the weight room for this season, like two or three weeks after that game, I was really able to flush it at that point because that was something to really look forward to and build off of. So as soon as I stepped in that weight room for the first time with that first lift group, that’s when everything started to click for me again and just kind of flushing all that stuff from the past but definitely learning from it.”
