Drew Allar made the biggest decision of his football career by deciding to return to Penn State for another season.
If Allar would’ve declared, he would’ve been at least a high Day 2 pick, but in returning to Penn State he gave himself an opportunity to not only lead his team to a national championship but establish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL Draft.
An Ohio native, Allar was named Ohio Mr. Football following his senior year at Medina High School in Medina, Ohio, Allar dominated that year by throwing for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also showed off his dual-threat mobility by rushing for 406 yards and nine touchdowns.
A three-star recruit, Allars’ football journey led him to Penn State in 2022 where he served as the team’s backup quarterback to Sean Clifford. He got his chance as a starter in 2023 completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,631 yards with 25 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions. In 2024 he established himself as one of the top quarterbacks to watch in the nation with 3,327 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 13-3 record, including a 31-14 Fiesta Bowl victory over Boise State.
Drew Allar NFL Draft profile
- Position: Quarterback
- College: Penn State Nittany Lions
- Height/Weight: 6-5, 235 lbs
- Hometown: Medina, OH
- 40-yard Dash: 4.90 seconds (unofficial)
- 2025 Stats (Regular Season): 626 passing yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 64.8 Comp. % (*through Week 3)
- Career Stats: 6,928 passing yards, 57 TD, 11 INT, 63.1 Comp %
Strengths:
- Prototypical size for a quarterback at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds.
- Arm strength talent which allows him to throw from multiple arm slot, gets the ball down the field with power, velocity.
- Great vision sees the entire field well, able to work throw progressions.
- Good decision making and ball security, protects the ball when pressured.
- Not known for his athleticism, but able to move smoothly and manipulate the pocket.
- Plays with toughness and competitiveness, shows great leadership ability.
- Ability to extend plays with his awareness, fearless in absorbing hits.
- Throws the ball with accuracy, touch and timing with his passes.
Weaknesses:
- Still needs to work on accuracy and efficiency while on the run, although improving.
- Can work on his footwork and mechanics when under pressure.
- Emotions can get the best of him, especially in big games.
- Tendency to hold the ball too long, which leads to poor decision making.
- Too much reliance on his arm strength.
NFL pro comparison:
In his scouting report of Allar, NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees a combination of two NFL quarterbacks in the Penn State quarterback. In admiration of his big arm talent in driving the ball down the field, Jeremiah also acknowledges his flaws in revealing his NFL pro comparison.
He writes:
“My first thought was Kerry Collins, who also spent his college career at Penn State before spending 17 seasons in the NFL. They are big, strong-armed passers with similar athleticism. However, the more I thought about it, the more Allar reminded me of Joe Flacco. Allar and Flacco both make drive throws look so effortless, and when given some space, they can collect yards on the ground. Neither guy is ultra sudden or dynamic, but they find ways to occasionally extend plays and deliver accurate throws on the move. They both prefer to read top to bottom, and they're always on the lookout for shots to present themselves. Another thing they have in common is the streaky nature of their play. Both guys can string together some impressive throws, but they can also make a few head-scratchers.”
2026 NFL Draft projection
Drew Allar has the change to be the first Penn State quarterback to be drafted in the first round since Kerry Collins was selected back in 1995. Ironically, that is one of his pro comparisons entering the draft. Can he have a better NFL career?
Although this will be a deep 2026 NFL Draft class at QB, there is no one making a clear stance for the top spot. Allar could be taken anywhere from the top 3 to mid-to-late first round depending on the needs of teams selecting in the top 10 of the draft. Given his talent and what he has shown as far as production and toughness, he should be an early first round pick in the draft.