James Franklin: Penn State has a plan to play Drew Allar, Beau Pribula at the same time

Throughout the offseason, the big question for Penn State was if Drew Allar or Beau Pribula would be the starting quarterback. Ultimately, James Franklin chose Allar, but Pribula has also played some snaps this season.

They both have different skillsets. Allar does more damage with his arm while Pribula is a threat with his legs. Penn State has run a few packages for Pribula to run the ball this year, and he has 225 rushing yards and three touchdowns to his name.

During his radio show on Thursday, though, Franklin hinted at an intriguing possibility. Penn State fans could, at some point down the road, see both Allar and Pribula on the field together.

“There’s been some plans for us each week to try to get both Beau and Drew on the field at the same time, which I think could cause some conflicts and cause some challenges,” Franklin said of Pribula and Allar. “If you just put Beau on the field by himself, people defend you differently. But with those two guys on the field at the same time, I think that can cause some issues.”

Regardless, Franklin said he’s happy with where Pribula is in his development. The true freshman has appeared in six games so far for Penn State, most recently totaling 59 rushing yards and a touchdown against UMass. He also has 75 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.

Pribula provides an interesting change of pace from Allar, who has thrown for 1,445 yards and 13 touchdowns through seven games and still hasn’t thrown an interception. As for whether the system changes when Pribula comes in the game, Franklin said that’s not the case.

Instead, it’s about catering to his strengths with certain packages.

“We’ve been very pleased with Beau, and Beau’s done a nice job,” Franklin said. “We had some plans to use him last week, as well. I think so far this season, he’s been able to get into the game, play really well, run the offense. We’re not really changing the scheme. We’re just kind of emphasizing things that make sense for him and his style.”

As Penn State’s schedule rolls along, starting with this week’s game against Indiana, it will certainly be worth watching to see if Franklin trots out both quarterbacks. The Nittany Lions could still make some noise in the Big Ten East, as well. The next opportunity comes Nov. 11 when Michigan comes to Beaver Stadium.