Penn State head coach James Franklin on Pribula and Allar: "I love the fact that both of them are embracing the competition"
It’s not often that Penn State signs two quality quarterbacks in the same class. Really, it’s uncommon across all of college football.
Among other top programs, Oklahoma and Michigan were the only two to join Penn State in going that route in 2022. The difference between those two and Penn State is that both of those schools added their second quarterback within the past few days, hoping to upgrade at the position. Penn State’s two quarterbacks, Beau Pribula and Drew Allar, have been committed for months now. In Pribula’s case, it’s been well over a year.
“With those two guys, I’m really proud of both of them and how they handled the situation throughout the entire process,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said Wednesday.
“We felt like we signed two of the better quarterbacks in all of college football this year in terms of signing classes.”
Of the two, Pribula was the first to commit back in August 2020, just before the start of his junior season. Growing up a fan of the Nittany Lions, it was never that hard of a decision. Sure, he did his research, but Penn State was always the clear favorite.
With his recruitment behind him, Pribula went on to shine that season, totaling just under 2,700 yards of total offense. He threw for 34 touchdowns and rushed for 14 more, leading Central York to not only a District III 6A championship, but an appearance in the PIAA 6A state title game. They ultimately fell short of the top prize, losing to powerhouse St. Joseph’s Prep, but that incredible run earned Pribula the honor of being Pennsylvania’s Class 6A Player of the Year.
Penn State fans, join us at On3 today for just $1
The Panthers lost many of the talented skill players that helped him that year, but they still had Pribula in 2021. He upped his game even more this past season, totaling over 3,000 yards of total offense.
He finished with 41 touchdowns, but also sat much more in the second halves of games compared to the year prior, as his coach, Gerry Yonchiuk, was open about the fact that he didn’t want to risk Pribula’s future. In fact, Yonchiuk took his best defensive player (Pribula) off the field almost entirely this season, as Beau played very little at safety.
Central York went on to finish 11-1, as a missed field goal in the District III playoffs cut Pribula’s senior season short. But in a lot of ways, this past season was even more impressive than 2020. Over a five-game stretch in October, he completed 87 percent of his passes. Pribula finished the year with a 71.6 percent completion rate.
“You look at the numbers he was able to put up and the wins they were able to have this year, it was a special year,” Franklin said of Pribula. “He made plays with his feet, he made plays with his arm. His touchdown to interception ratio was fantastic. His completion percentage was fantastic. Coach Yonchiuk did an unbelievable job with him. Also, he never wavered. He really embraces competition, and I couldn’t be more excited about him and more proud.”
As for Allar, his rise has also been well-documented. After taking over as Medina’s starting quarterback midway through his sophomore season, it was his junior year that really saw him breakout, throwing for 2,962 yards and 26 touchdowns. Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was one of the few who saw his talent immediately, but as Penn State fans know by now, the whole world figured it as camps/visits started up again last spring.
Related: Grading out Penn State’s Class of 2022 – Offense
He really broke through with his performance at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, and from that point forward, was considered one of the nation’s best quarterbacks.
“Drew is a guy that kind of did it old school,” Franklin said. “As he went to camps and played in the season, he continued to do well and his rankings continued to rise. People were really impressed with him. Big kid who can stand in the pocket and deliver the ball. I think people underestimated his athleticism as well.”
A 13-1 senior season where he passed for 4,443 yards and 48 touchdowns only cemented his status. On3 went on to make him a five-star, and a major reason why was him playmaking ability. We already knew he could make all the throws, but his ability to come up big when the lights were the brightest was impressive.
“He does a great job making some of the plays that aren’t in the playbook in terms of extending plays and off balance throws with unbelievable accuracy and playmaking ability,” Franklin said. “He was able to make some plays with his feet, too. Another kid that just handled the process extremely well, is embracing the competition. Both are real big-time leaders in the class as well.”
Related: Which Penn State prospects may be able to play immediately?
At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Allar is considered the more polished passer between the two. However Pribula, who stands at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, is considered the better athlete. Pribula has documented 40 times in the 4.7 range, while Allar runs around a 4.9. Pribula also edges him out in the shuttle, running in the 4.3 range. Allar is closer to a 4.5.
Both have been looked at differently across the recruiting sites, but Franklin said he sees more similarities than differences.
“I think there’s probably more similarities with them than there are differences, but there are some,” he said. “Allar is a little bigger, Pribula may be a little more athletic, but I think both of them have a lot of traits and skills that you look for and desire and I love the fact that both of them are embracing the competition.”
Sean Clifford’s return to Penn State also provides them the opportunity to learn. A sixth-year player, Clifford will be one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football next year. He has the opportunity to set the tone for what’s expected from both incoming freshmen.
Related: Key Takeaways from the Class of 2022
“Sean’s a big part of this. We didn’t know that for sure,” Franklin said. “I think Sean does as good as any quarterback I’ve been around in college in terms of how to prepare, how to watch film, how he studies the game and studies defenses. I think that’s going to be really valuable for these two quarterbacks.”
On top of that, both Allar and Pribula will enroll in less than a month from now, ensuring that the quarterback room has plenty of competition during spring practice and into the summer.
“At quarterback, it is pretty important,” said Director of Player Personnel Andy Frank. “There’s a lot of reps that can happen in spring ball, especially because spring ball’s a little bit different than fall camp. In fall camp, you’re trying to get guys ready for games, and games that we’re about to play.
“So you’ve got to give those reps to your one and your two. Your three and fours, as camp goes on, don’t get quite as many reps. In spring ball, you can space them out. You can basically structure spring practice to give guys opportunities where they need them…. In spring, it’s a little bit dialed back, kind of whatever level they’re at, you can give them that look on defense and kind of bring them along that way. So getting these guys in early is huge for us going into next year. I think that’s an important piece for those guys.”
