Drew Allar: A Comprehensive Look at His Collegiate Career and NFL Potential
Drew Allar, a former five-star quarterback hailing from Medina, Ohio, has been the subject of much discussion and anticipation throughout his collegiate career. His journey, marked by record-breaking performances, high expectations, and unfortunate setbacks, presents a complex and intriguing profile for NFL scouts. This article delves into Allar's background, high school achievements, college statistics, and NFL potential, offering a comprehensive overview of his career.
Early Years and High School Dominance
Born on February 22, 2004, in Medina, Ohio, Drew Allar quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the football field. He rewrote the record books at Medina High School under head coach Larry Laird, showcasing his exceptional talent and potential. Even as a high schooler, Allar possessed impressive physical attributes, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 235 pounds. Allar was a three-year varsity starter who piled up 9,103 career passing yards and 98 touchdowns, both school and county records. He initially played fullback and linebacker before transitioning to quarterback.
Allar's senior season was nothing short of remarkable. He completed 305-of-511 passes for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns. These numbers earned him Ohio's Mr. Football award, Max Preps Ohio Player of the Year honors, and a first-team all-state nod. He was also invited to the Adidas All-America Bowl and earned Elite 11 honors, solidifying his status as one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation.
Recruiting services recognized Allar's special talent, although they differed slightly in their star ratings. 247Sports tabbed him a five-star recruit and the top quarterback in the 2022 class. ESPN slotted him as a four-star recruit and the No. 2 quarterback nationally, while Rivals gave him four stars and ranked him No. 6 overall.
Penn State Career: A Rollercoaster of Highs and Lows
2022: Freshman Year
Allar arrived at Penn State and saw the field immediately as a true freshman in 2022, appearing in 10 games behind Sean Clifford. In limited action, he completed 35-of-60 passes for 344 yards with four touchdowns, providing a glimpse of his potential and building anticipation for his future role as the team's starting quarterback. He also rushed for 52 yards and one touchdown.
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Notable Games:
- vs. at Purdue (9/1): Came off the bench to open the second half, completing 2-of-4 passes for 26 yards.
- Ohio (9/10): Completed 6-of-8 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns in relief…Found Omari Evans on a 32-yard scoring strike in the third quarter and Khalil Dinkins on a 28-yard score in the fourth quarter…Added 11 rushing yards.
- at Auburn (9/17): Completed both of his passing attempts for 29 yards in fourth quarter relief action.
- Central Michigan (9/24): Entered the game in the fourth quarter and completed two passes, including a 20-yard strike to Liam Clifford.
- at Michigan (10/15): Came into the game in the fourth quarter and completed five passes for 37 yards.
- Minnesota (10/22): Saw action in the fourth quarter, completing one pass for 9 yards.
- at Indiana (11/5): Entered the game in the second half and completed 9-of-12 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns…Scoring passes came on 1-yard and 4-yard throws to Harrison Wallace III and Theo Johnson, respectively…Added three carries for 11 yards.
- Maryland (11/12): Saw second half action and completed 3-of-6 passes for 18 yards…Added a 12-yard rush.
2023: Sophomore Season
When Clifford departed, Allar took the reins in 2023 and opened his tenure with a bang, setting an FBS record by completing 311 consecutive attempts without an interception to start his career. That sophomore campaign produced 2,631 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just two interceptions across 13 starts while leading Penn State to a 10-3 record and a Peach Bowl appearance against Ole Miss.
Awards and Recognition:
- Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media.
- Named to the Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2023.
- Earned spots on the Maxwell Award and Manning Award watch lists.
Notable Games:
- West Virginia (9/2): Threw for 325 yards while completing 21 passes and throwing three touchdowns…Tossed a 72-yard touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith on Penn State’s opening drive…Also connected with Lambert-Smith on a 12-yard score in the third quarter…Found Malik McClain for a 25-yard touchdown strike in the fourth quarter.
- Delaware (9/9): Completed 22-of-26 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown…Rushed for 27 yards to go along with a rushing score…Found Tyler Warren on a 2-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter…Added a 1-yard rushing score in the third quarter.
- at Illinois (9/16): Completed 16 passes for 208 yards, including a long of 33 yards to Liam Clifford…Ran for 24 yards with a long rush of eight yards.
- Iowa (9/23): Completed 25-of-37 passes for 166 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes…Set a career high with 25 completions…Added 22 yards rushing…Connected on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Dinkins in the second quarter…Threw 2-yard and 7-yard touchdown passes to Warren in the third quarter…Found Lambert-Smith on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
- at Northwestern (9/30): Completed 18-of-33 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, while adding a rushing score…Connected with Nicholas Singleton on a 2-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter…Scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter.
- UMass (10/14): Completed 16-of-23 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns…Threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Warren in the second quarter…Tossed two touchdowns to Theo Johnson, both in the third quarter, from 30 yards and 18 yards out…Added a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
- at Ohio State (10/21): Completed 18 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown…In the fourth quarter, connected with Kaden Saunders for an 8-yard score.
- Indiana (10/28): Completed 20-of-31 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns…Found Lambert-Smith on a 57-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 to go in regulation for the go-ahead score…Also connected on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Dinkins in the first quarter and a 16-yard touchdown pass to Johnson in the third quarter.
- at Maryland (11/4): Completed 25-of-34 passes for 240 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns…Connected with Dante Cephas on a pair of touchdowns, including a 6-yard score on the opening drive and a 15-yard strike in the fourth quarter…Also found Johnson later in the first quarter on a 2-yard touchdown and Warren on an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter…Posted a 21-yard run in the second quarter and finished the game with 39 rushing yards.
- Michigan (11/11): Ran for 49 yards, including an 11-yard rushing score…Found Johnson on a 8-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
- Rutgers (11/18): Completed 6-of-13 passes for 79 yards before exiting the game with an injury…Rushed for 28 yards on three carries.
- at Michigan State (11/24): Went 17-for-26 for 292 yards and two touchdowns…Had a 2-yard touchdown pass to Allen in the second quarter and a 21-yard touchdown pass to Johnson in the fourth quarter…Completed a 60-yard pass to Omari Evans in the third quarter…Also found Singleton on a 54-yard catch and run in the first quarter.
2024: Junior Season
Year three brought a leap in production. Under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Allar completed 66.5% of his passes for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions, adding 302 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. He was named a team captain, earned Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist recognition, and landed on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 list. Penn State went 13-3, captured a spot in the College Football Playoff, and advanced all the way to the national semifinal before falling 27-24 to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
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Awards and Recognition:
- Was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the coaches and media.
- Named a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist.
- Earned a spot on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 list.
- Named to the Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 list and was a Manning Award Star of the Week (8/31 - West Virginia).
- Tabbed to the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists.
Notable Games:
- at West Virginia (8/31): Completed 11-of-17 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns…Added six rushes for 44 yards, averaging 7.3 yards per rush…Threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Wallace III early in the second quarter…Connected with Kaytron Allen on a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter…Tossed an 18-yard touchdown to Wallace late in the second quarter…Completed six passes of 20+ yards.
- Bowling Green (9/7): Threw for 204 yards on 13-for-20 passing for two touchdowns and one interception…Also recorded a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter…Connected with Omari Evans on a 29-yard touchdown in the second quarter and tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Singleton in the third quarter.
- Kent State (9/21): Completed 17-of-21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing score…Posted five completions of 20+ yards…Connected with Tyler Warren on a 16-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Liam Clifford in the second quarter and added a 59-yard touchdown pass to Evans in the third quarter…Also scored on a 5-yard rush in the second quarter.
- Illinois (9/28): Was 15-of-21 for 135 yards…Had a long completion of 20 yards to Wallace in the first quarter.
- UCLA (10/5): Completed 17-of-24 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown…Connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Warren in the second quarter…Scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter…Had four 20+ yard completions.
- at USC (10/12): Threw for a career-high 391 yards, completing 30-of-43 passes and adding two passing touchdowns…Connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Warren in the third quarter and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Singleton in the fourth quarter…Had six completions of 20+ yards.
- at Wisconsin (10/26): Completed 14-of-18 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half…Connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Singleton.
- Ohio State (11/2): Was 12-for-20 for 146 yards, while adding 31 rushing yards on 10 carries…Posted three completions of 20+ yards.
- Washington (11/9): Completed 20-of-28 passes for 220 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass to Julian Fleming…Had four completions of 20+ yards…Rushed for 12 yards on three carries.
- at Purdue (11/16): Connected on 17-of-19 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns…Had a 2-yard touchdown pass to Allen on Penn State’s opening drive…Added a 15-yard touchdown toss to Warren in the first quarter…Threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Wallace in the third quarter…Posted four completions of 20+ yards.
- at Minnesota (11/23): Completed 21-of-28 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown…Connected on a 45-yard touchdown pass to Evans in the second quarter…Added a 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
- Maryland (11/30): Went 17-of-26 for 171 yards and a touchdown…Rushed for 23 yards and a 1-yard score.
- vs. Oregon (12/7): Completed 20-of-39 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns…Ran for a career-high 54 yards on five carries…Connected on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Singleton in the first quarter and a 22-yard touchdown pass to Evans in the second quarter…Tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Wallace in the fourth quarter…Scored on a 7-yard run in the second quarter.
- SMU (12/21): Was 13-for-22 passing for 127 yards while adding ten rushing yards.
- vs. Boise State (12/31): Completed 13-of-25 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns…Connected with Warren on an 11-yard touchdown pass on PSU’s opening drive…Tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Evans in the first quarter…Added a 13-yard touchdown pass to Warren in the third quarter…Posted two completions of 20+ yards.
2025: Senior Season - A Disappointing End
Allar returned for 2025 with first-round aspirations, but the year unraveled quickly. After a 3-0 start against weak competition, three consecutive losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern dropped the bottom out. To make matters worse, Allar suffered a season-ending lower-body injury in the Northwestern game, his fifth appearance of the season, closing the door on his college eligibility. On October 11, 2025, Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a loss against Northwestern.
Allar's Collegiate Statistics: A Summary
- Completion Percentage: 62.9% (Ranks first all-time at Penn State)
- Interception Percentage: 1.19% (Ranks first all-time at Penn State)
- Touchdown Passes: 53 (Ranks third all-time at Penn State)
- Passing Efficiency: 144.0 (Ranks third all-time at Penn State)
- Completions: 530 (Ranks fifth all-time at Penn State)
- 200-Yard Passing Games: 16 (Tied for fifth all-time at Penn State)
- Passing Yardage: 6,302 (Ranks sixth all-time at Penn State)
- Passing Attempts: 843 (Ranks sixth all-time at Penn State)
- Yards Per Attempt: 7.5 (Tied for ninth all-time at Penn State)
- Touchdown Pass Percentage: 6.28% (Ranks 10th all-time at Penn State)
- Rushing Touchdowns: 11 (Tied for sixth among Penn State quarterbacks)
- Rushing Yards: 543 (Ranks 10th among Penn State quarterbacks)
- Touchdowns Responsible For: 64 (Ranks fourth all-time at PSU)
- Total Offense: 6,862 (Ranks fifth all-time at PSU)
- Wins by a Starting Quarterback: 23 (Ranks eighth all-time at Penn State)
- Starting Quarterback Winning Percentage: .793 (Ranks 10th all-time at Penn State)
NFL Potential and Draft Outlook
Despite the disappointing end to his college career, Drew Allar possesses the raw talent and physical attributes that intrigue NFL scouts. His arm strength, size, and athleticism are undeniable, but questions remain about his consistency, decision-making, and ability to perform under pressure.
Strengths:
- Arm Talent: Allar possesses exceptional arm strength, capable of making throws to all areas of the field with velocity and accuracy when his feet are set and the pocket is clean.
- Size and Physicality: At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Allar has the prototypical size and build of an NFL quarterback.
- Athleticism: Allar is a capable runner, adding another dimension to his game and providing the ability to escape pressure and make plays with his legs.
Weaknesses:
- Consistency: Allar's performance can be inconsistent, with flashes of brilliance interspersed with stretches of inaccurate throws and poor decisions.
- Decision-Making: While he showed improvement in decision-making in 2024 and 2025, Allar still needs to refine his ability to read defenses and make quick, accurate decisions under pressure.
- Ball Placement: Allar's ball placement has been inconsistent, leading to a higher percentage of uncatchable passes and a lower percentage of positively graded accuracy throws.
- Injury History: The season-ending ankle injury in 2025 raises concerns about his durability and ability to withstand the rigors of the NFL.
Draft Projection:
The conventional wisdom says returning to school is almost always the right call. Sharpen your game, add to the tape, and watch your stock climb. Drew Allar is a painful reminder that the conventional wisdom doesn't always apply. Multiple reports had him pegged as a first-round pick in the 2025 draft. NFL GMs were scouting him heavily during the College Football Playoff. One source said Allar "probably" have been the No. 2 overall pick to Cleveland, the team he grew up rooting for. Instead, Allar bet on himself, watched his supporting cast deteriorate around him, suffered a season-ending injury five games into 2025, and turned what could have been a nine-figure career into a coin flip.
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He is a Day 2 or early Day 3 selection now, but somewhere in the film room, a quarterback coach is going to watch his best reps and convince himself he's found the steal of the draft. The season-ending injury muddies the evaluation further, robbing teams of the extended 2025 look that could have settled the debate one way or the other.
What makes Allar's situation so maddening is that the talent hasn't disappeared. It's still in there. You catch flashes of it on the 2024 tape when his feet are set and the pocket is clean, and the ball comes out with a velocity and trajectory that maybe five or six guys in this entire draft class can replicate. There is first-round ability locked inside Allar's frame, and the right coaching staff with the right scheme could be the key that turns it. He needs structure: play-action concepts that move the pocket laterally, RPO packages that simplify his reads to one or two options, and a run game committed enough to keep defenses from teeing off on his processing limitations. A coordinator who asks him to stand tall in a collapsing pocket and work through a full-field concept on third-and-eight is going to get the worst version of this player. The question every team in this draft has to answer is whether they believe they're the ones who can unlock it. Because the gap between Allar at his best and Allar at his worst is as wide as any quarterback in this class. His ceiling is a legitimate NFL starter with the arm to win games in January. His floor is a career backup who looks like a franchise quarterback in shorts and never puts it together when the lights come on.
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