Drew Allar puts five-star ranking on display in latest Penn State victory
STATE COLLEGE — Stars don’t matter once a recruit gets to a college campus. That’s always been the case and always will be. But, Penn State and every other college program is better when the five-stars play to their rating immediately.
Drew Allar proved that on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
The Lions were already leading Ohio 26-7 when the 6-foot-5, 238-pound quarterback was sent out to the field to a roaring round of approval from the home fans. He handed off first, and then four plays later, lofted a beautiful 32-yard touchdown strike to classmate Omari Evans that marked both players’ first career touchdowns in blue and white.
It was impressive. But, the play that showed everyone watching just how special No. 15 can be came two drives later. With a Bobcat rusher bearing down on him, Allar climbed the pocket as if he was a sixth-year senior, kept his eyes downfield, and chucked it to a wide-open Khalil Dinkins for another Penn State score.
All told, Allar was six-of-eight for 88 yards and the pair of scores over four drives. But, beyond the box score, he demonstrated a level of confidence and ability that hasn’t been seen in a Penn State freshman quarterback for a long time.
“I think the biggest thing that I think jumps out to everybody is he’s just super poised in there,” head coach James Franklin said. “For a young kid, the game seems slow to him already. I think he’s doing a really good job from a preparation standpoint. I think it also helps that he’s six-foot-5, 238 pounds. He’s bigger than half the guys chasing him.”
Allar’s Penn State performance draws rave reviews from teammates
Penn State does not make freshmen players available to the media. So, the only insight we can gather is from Allar’s teammates and coaches. And, the praise was glowing in the Beaver Stadium media room postgame.
“I think it was awesome today to be able to get Drew in there for a series after series, and [Christian Veilleux] a couple of series as well,” quarterback Sean Clifford said. “I thought it was just a lot of fun to watch. I’m just super proud of our room. Because, I think that we handle everything pretty well.”
Added receiver Harrison “Tre” Wallace:
“I knew Drew was going to click. He just needed opportunity. Drew’s [ball] just have a little more zip to it.”
And there was this from starting receiver Parker Washington:
“He stepped up, came in the game, and made some plays. I was ecstatic.”
It goes without saying that Clifford is this team’s quarterback. It’s also apparent that Allar provides Penn State with a spark that is hard to replicate. Franklin has his work cut out to determine the best way to use both moving forward. But, at the end of the day, it’s a problem any coach would love to have. And it’s one Penn State has because Allar has progressed from high school to college football exactly as he was expected to.
