Anonymous Big Ten coach says Penn State's success is 'all about' Drew Allar

Penn State is coming into the 2023 season with the highest expectations it’s had in a long time. A lot of those expectations are due to Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions’ new quarterback, who will replace long-time starter Sean Clifford.

One anonymous Big Ten coach even told Athlon magazine that all of Penn State’s success in 2023 is going to be about Allar.

“It’s really all about [QB Drew] Allar. If he’s as good as everyone thinks, this is their window to get past Michigan and Ohio State. He’s the difference between another top-end season and the breakthrough they’ve wanted under [James] Franklin.”

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“If they’re weak somewhere, it’s replacing [Joey] Porter [Jr.] and [Ji’Ayir] Brown in the secondary because those guys are top-end NFL dudes. But [DC Manny] Diaz is so good when you have something for him to work with.”

Drew Allar was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also the 28th-ranked player nationally and the third-ranked quarterback in the class. He backed up Clifford in 2022 while many people expect him to be how Penn State goes from good to great in 2023.

As On3’s JD PicKell previously explained, that means there’s a ton of pressure on Allar’s shoulders.

“[Allar] is, if you’re a Penn State football fan, the savior of your program,” PicKell said. “Everything that you believe about Penn State football, in a positive manner, this coming season is likely supported by some sort of statement saying, ‘Well, we’re going to be better at quarterback.’”

Should expectations for Drew Allar be tempered?

During an On3 Roundtable, Blue-White Illustrated‘s Sean Fitz joined JD PicKell where the two spoke about Drew Allar and the expectations that he’s dealing with. In that discussion, Fitz argued that expectations may need to be tempered.

“Absolutely, no doubt about it. First-time starter you have to do all the things on the mental side that get you ready, changing the play at the line of scrimmage, when that defense lines up in a man set and all of a sudden drops back into a zone. That’s something that a first-time quarterback, first-time starter has to see in live action before he can actually capture that and turn that into something where you can make those decisions on the snap,” Fitz said.

“I think he’s got the tools to do it, but yeah let’s take a step back here. He can make any throw in the world, that’s not what’s going to separate him and that’s not what’s going to help him beat Ohio State and Michigan, which is of course the standard that Penn State is trying to live up to right now.”