Louis Riddick: 'No question' Drew Allar should return to Penn State, spurn 2025 NFL Draft

ESPN’s Louis Riddick had some sage advice for Penn State quarterback Drew Allar following the Nittany Lions’ loss to Notre Dame in the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

After two riveting performances in the First Round and the Quarterfinals of the CFP, some theorized Allar could go back on his word regarding a return to Happy Valley next season and enter the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the assessment after the Orange Bowl didn’t match the hype going into the game, after Allar had a disappointing night against the Fighting Irish.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Watches that tell so much more than time”

Allar completed 12-of-23 pass attempts for 135 yards, and he threw a late interception that set up a game-winning drive for Marcus Freeman’s offense. After the dust settled, Riddick, a prospective general manager candidate for multiple NFL teams, pleaded with the Penn State quarterback to return to college for another season, instead of taking his shot at the NFL in 2025.

“No question,” Riddick answered, regarding whether Allar should return for another season at Penn State instead of entering the 2025 NFL Draft, via ESPN’s Get Up. “Honestly, it sounds like that speculation was all coming from the outside. Nothing that was generated from him personally. I think you saw it, you know, and having spoken to him a couple times, he is someone who’s so young, both in terms of the way his facial expressions are young, the way he sounds is young. He’s a big man, 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. He looks like someone who needs more time.

“I think being in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense another season, where now he can go through another spring, another fall camp, and really get the nuance down, and I think he’s going to want to get the taste of this game out of his mouth. He will be in contention to maybe be the No. 1 pick in 2026.”

As you can tell, Riddick makes some salient points regarding Allar’s future. If he does go back to Penn State and shows improvement, he could feasibly be the unquestioned top choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. Coupled with the chance to lead the Nittany Lions one step further and compete for a national title, it’s easy to see why many believe the pros outweigh the cons at the moment.

Regardless, it’ll be up to Drew Allar to make a choice that will shape the rest of his football journey. Whether he returns to Penn State or moves forward with entering the 2025 NFL Draft, he’ll be a fascinating player to keep an eye on in the future.