Penn State freshman QB Ethan Grunkemeyer turning heads early in his career
Penn State freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has yet to take a live snap for the Nittany Lions, but the first-year player out of Ohio has already turned heads in Happy Valley. A practice standout during Penn State’s bye week earlier this month, Grunkemeyer’s name surfaced this week as questions surround the health of the team’s quarterback room.
So far, his career is off to a promising start.
“I’m a huge fan of Grunk. And I think there’s a ton of excitement in our program [for him],” James Franklin said on Monday. “You talk to our defensive coaches and talk to our defensive players about the respect they have for Grunk. As you guys know, we have a relationship with Brad Maendler, and I think he’s done a phenomenal job.
“There’s a lot of excitement in our program about Grunk. He’s really kind of a nice blend of Drew [Allar] and Beau [Pribula] in some ways. And he makes some throws that are really impressive.”
Grunkemeyer was a featured part of Penn State’s Class of 2024
The No. 9 quarterback in the Class of 2024 according to the On3 Industry Rankings, Grunkemeyer went from spring riser to Under Armour All-American on the back of a strong finish to his high school career. He led his Olentangy squad to an 11-2 record as a senior — a seven-win improvement from the year before — while throwing for over 3,500 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Grunkemeyer enrolled at Penn State in January and quickly moved up a rung on the quarterback ladder with a spring injury to Jaxon Smolik. He’s made all three road trips as a freshman and continues to be an involved member of the room with veterans Allar and Pribula ahead of him.
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Quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien has had to balance getting those two prepared while bringing along the impressive freshman. Should Allar have to miss time in practice this week, it will mean more snaps for Grunkemeyer.
Between the lines: James Franklin lends insight into latest round of Penn State bumps and bruises
“There’s only so much time to go around, but I think Danny’s doing a really good job and I think Grunk is doing a really good job,” said Franklin. “Just like you heard in the conversations about with Beau, those guys are preparing as if they’re the starter. That’s one of those things that is easier said than done.
“But Grunk’s improvement has been dramatic. I think he’s got a special future. We are fortunate to have those guys here. I think watching what happened on Saturday, I think that doubles down and reinforces it to those guys. Hey, I better have my stuff together. But there’s only so many reps to go around.
“So if Drew is able to practice, and we’re going to get reps with Beau, it’s hard to get reps for the third guy. If you’re not careful, you spend all this time getting all of them ready and you end up getting none of them ready. So that’s the challenge.”
