There is no doubt that the Penn State Nittany Lions are a team built to win NOW. The heat is on head coach James Franklin, between seasoned starters that are returning and transfers that will be depended on to contribute. Advancing to the College Football Playoffs (CFP) semifinals has left the team and fans wanting more. A key determining factor in winning the title next season will be the performance of quarterback Drew Allar. Regarding contingency planning, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki needs to consider the backup quarterback spot, and importantly, who is the QB2 behind Drew?
Who is the QB2 Behind Drew Allar?
Not As They Drew It Up
While Drew Allar can be described as a successful Penn State quarterback overall, his performance in big games has made him an enigma. His statistics are great against most teams. Seeing Ohio State, Michigan, and other big-time programs (most recently Notre Dame) across the line of scrimmage turns Allar into a quarterback that is average at best. Those performances are certainly not how Franklin, Kotelnicki, and Allar drew it up. Following last season, despite NFL Draft rumors, he stuck with his original plan of returning for his senior season. The trio will have one more chance to win it all.
Last season, Allar completed 66.5% of his passes for 3,327 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. However, for both Allar and the team, it is imperative that he performs well in the biggest spots this coming season. To help him get over some of the big game struggles, Penn State recently hired Trace McSorley as an assistant coach. Additionally, Allar works with arguably the best running back tandem in the country, which is Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. However, Allar will be breaking in a new set of receivers, with Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross replacing Trey Wallace and Omari Evans. These players’ ability to quickly mesh will be needed to replace the production of tight end/running back/quarterback Tyler Warren.
Success is there for the taking for Allar and the Nittany Lions. However, what if Allar gets injured or struggles mightily? The key question then revolves around the backup. Who is the QB2 behind Drew?
The Pribula Problem
The least popular person on the roster is the backup quarterback. Nobody really wants to see him play. He is not an important part of the team until he is. In one play, the backup quarterback easily moves from the least important to the most important player on the entire team. For Penn State, the hope is that Allar makes it through the whole season and performs up to his vast potential. However, hope is not a strategy. If Allar gets injured or underperforms, there needs to be a Plan B. That is where it gets interesting.
Entering last season, Penn State had Beau Pribula on the roster. A change of pace from Allar, Pribula is a dual-threat quarterback who could both throw and run the football. There were plays that were designed for him in Kotelnicki’s offense, so he got to see the field. However, playing behind Allar meant Pribula had to wait his turn for the starting job. When the signs started pointing to Allar returning to Happy Valley, Pribula faced a tough decision. He ultimately decided to enter the transfer portal before the end of the season. In doing that, he missed the playoffs but got an early start on the process that ultimately landed him at Missouri.
With Pribula leaving, Franklin and Kotelnicki were put in a tough spot. There was no experienced backup behind Allar for the playoff run. It was a conundrum that is similar to what they face in this off-season. While there are options on the roster, they lack experience.
A Lot To Figure Out This Spring
Heading into Spring practice, determining the backup quarterback will be an important task. The options currently on the roster have a combined two pass attempts. Allar will be focused on building a rapport with his new receivers. Other than that, he should not see too many reps. That should open the door for Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik to make their cases to be QB2 behind Drew.
Grunkemeyer, a true freshman last season, ended up being the backup quarterback for Penn State during the playoff run. Luckily for Allar and the Nittany Lions, Grunkemeyer did not see the field for meaningful snaps in the playoffs. He did enter the SMU game, which Penn State handily won. His first pass attempt was intercepted, though he completed the second attempt for a nine-yard gain.
Smolik, a redshirt freshman last year, was injured and missed the entire season. Smolik entered one game in 2023 against Delaware. However, he did not throw a pass. After missing all of last season, he will look to reestablish himself in the offense. The good news is that Penn State has options. The challenge is that the options do not come with much experience. This will be a big storyline to watch through Spring practice. However, it is unlikely to have an announced winner any time soon, for fear of the quarterback not chosen as the QB2 behind Drew to follow Pribula to the transfer portal.
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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