It is often said in the voyage of life, “home is always with you.”
For Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, it’s no different.
Allar discussed during 2025 Big Ten Media Days at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas yesterday what being an Ohioan means to him.
“I think just growing up in the Midwest, but more specifically, Northeast Ohio, specifically where it’s a big football town region in general, it’s definitely shaped my love (of football),” Allar said. “So it means a lot to me. And then obviously having my dad, who played football in high school and was fortunate enough to play in college as well, really helped me.”
With Allar’s family deeply rooted in football, the NFL was always a part of his Sundays. Allar’s loyalty isn’t far from where he was rooted.
“I grew up going to Cleveland Browns games every Sunday, every home game from the time I was like, six or seven years old,” Allar said.”The only time, the first time I missed a Cleveland Browns home game was my freshman year at Penn State. I mean, my dad still has the tickets in his name.”
Allar’s draft stock was rising at the end of last season. The gap between the end of the Big Ten Championship against Oregon to the College Football Playoff First Round against SMU was shortened by a deadline to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft or return to Penn State.
Ultimately, Allar wanted to focus on the task in front of him of potentially winning a national championship and declared his intention of returning to Penn State.
Allar’s boyhood team selected two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft: Allar’s opponent in the 2024 Big Ten Championship and former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel went in the third round, and the organization took a flier on the polarizing former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
With the Browns handcuffed by the salary cap due to quarterback DeShaun Watson’s health issues along with defensive end Myles Garrett and defensive back Denzel Ward, the three consume nearly 30% of the Browns’ cap space.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Allar was asked if he would embrace being selected by his boyhood team.
“Just to have the opportunity to play in the NFL in general, no matter the organization, would be an honor and a blessing,” he said.
While Allar indicated throughout his near half hour with the media that the primary focus is Penn State’s first opponent Nevada on August 30 in Beaver Stadium, questions still were asked about playing in Ohio – notably Penn State’s November 1 encounter with Ohio State, which might be the most anticipated game not only in the Big Ten but also in the nation.
Allar put it into perspective what it means to play in the state of Ohio against the state’s No. 1 team with his family and friends present.
“Being able to go back home to Ohio, and playing my home state is definitely a blessing,” Allar said. “They (Ohio State) have a great environment, great program, great team, great players and great coaches. So when that opportunity comes, I’ll be looking forward to it, just for the opportunity to go back home and play them, because they’re a great team, and they accomplished what every team in America wanted to accomplish last year. So you know, when the opportunity does come, I’ll be excited for it.”
