Who will the Penn State backup quarterback be against SMU in the College Football Playoff?
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula is no longer with the Nittany Lions. He entered the transfer portal on Sunday, just six days before the sixth-seeded team in the College Football Playoff hosts No. 11 SMU at Beaver Stadium. He has served as the team’s backup quarterback for the last two seasons. And, he entered and won the Wisconsin game earlier this year. But, he will not be with the program for its debut in the CFP. So, who will the Nittany Lions’ No. 2 option be behind Drew Allar now? It’s still in the air five days before kickoff.
Freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer has been the No. 3 option ever since redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik was injured earlier this year. Smolik, who has warmed up some throughout the fall during home games, was just recently cleared to return to game action. Grunkemeyer, meanwhile, did not see the game field in 2024 but has taken a ton of practice rep, head coach James Franklin said. That likely has him in the front of the line to be the No. 2 option on Saturday. But, time will tell.
“Obviously, Jaxon’s situation was a little bit different,” Franklin said. “So both of them will be part of the equation, part of the discussion. The difference is Jaxon’s been out all year, and really has only been cleared for about the last week. I bet you Grunk’s probably got about 350 reps in practice. And Jaxon, who we love and think has a very, very bright future, wasn’t able to get those reps. So, all of those things will be factored in.”
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More: What did James Franklin say about Drew Allar returning to Penn State and Beau Pribula leaving the Lions?
Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki also discussed his changed quarterbacks’ room.
“Jaxon’s coming off of just being clear, but I’m really excited about him,” Kotelnicki said. “His progress has been really, really impressive. And Ethan’s done a fantastic job as well. But, obviously having Drew as a leader in that room is a huge deal for us. The way he goes about his business is awesome for anybody of any age to observe and see.”
Penn State certainly did not expect to find itself in this predicament just days before its first Playoff game. But, that’s the reality of college football in 2024. Grunkemeyer or Smolik will need to be ready when called upon, either to come in for an injured Allar or to be used as a change-of-pace option like Pribula was.
