Penn State’s supporting cast places immediate pressure on Drew Allar

With the type of team Penn State has in place going into 2023, there is immediate pressure on young quarterback Drew Allar.

On3’s J.D. PicKell detailed a lot of the supporting cast from last year’s Rose Bowl team. Allar has most of them back and the much-hyped prospect has a big job ahead.

PicKell broke down why on The Hard Count, saying Allar is set up for success but he better make it happen.

“One of the top guys that has pressure on him to perform and elevate his team in 2023 is none other than Penn State’s quarterback Drew Allar,” PicKell said. “Five star kid coming out of high school, ton of buzz when he got State College. And the reason why there’s so much pressure on Drew Allar is because everything else at Penn State, all systems go. Everything else is looking good to go with maybe the exception of the wide receiver group and even then I think Dante Cephas and KeAndre Lambert-Smith are gonna be dogs for you on the outside.”

Basically, Allar has all of the answers to the test right in front of them. He just has to fill in the paper.

“Everything else is built out. James Franklin came on this very show last week and was like look, I don’t know that I’ve had a defense be this talented and this deep in a long time,” PicKell said. “You look at that stable they got in the backfield. Those dudes can tow the rock like nobody’s business. James Franklin said, I think we got a chance to be better on the offensive line.

“And last year’s team was no slouch either. They only lost two games. They won the Rose Bowl, and everybody around State College expects Penn State to be better. Why? Because Drew Allar is supposed to be that missing piece.”

Now, Allar has to replace veteran Sean Clifford. Clifford was the embodiment of toughness for Penn State quarterbacks.

“They love Sean Clifford,” PicKell said. “I’ve said this probably ad nauseam on this show. If you’ve watched for any length of time, give Sean Clifford a frickin’ statue outside of Beaver Stadium for what he did for Penn State for how long he was at Penn State. But even with that being said, Drew Allar has got a frickin’ hose for an arm. He can stretch the field vertically, he adds a little bit more oomph to what you can do offensively.

“And so Penn State fans, Sean Clifford, you love him, but also you understand there was a little bit of a ‘I don’t know if he’s the guy to get us past Michigan. I don’t know if he’s the guy to get us past Ohio State.’ He did everything but that last year.”

Last season, Allar went 35-of-60 (58.3%) for 344 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and one rushing touchdown. Now, he’ll have the full weight of pressure that comes with being a starting quarterback.

“You plug in a guy like Drew Allar, who just to be real with you, has more natural ability, more of what God gives you than what Sean Clifford had physically,” PicKell said. “So now there’s the excitement of Okay, now’s the time. Got the defense, got the backfield, got the offensive line. The time is now at Penn State. So if Drew Allar and Penn State under achieve, the natural response from the Penn State fan base will be pointing the finger at Drew Allar. 

“Whether that’s fair or not I’m just telling you, I think that’s the reality we’re living in right now in State College. So a ton of pressure on Drew Allar to elevate Penn State and get them over that hump to beat Michigan and/or Ohio State, and win a Big Ten title. The feeling around Penn State is that the time is now.”