James Franklin addresses Drew Allar's 'Unfinished business' amid long tirade about his star QB's development since arriving at Penn State
The Penn State Nittany Lions were one of the main attractions of the Big Ten Media Days. The favorite to win the conference despite watching the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes finish ahead of them in 2024, this Penn State squad is loaded. Head coach James Franklin pulled off a great strategy to bring […]
The Penn State Nittany Lions were one of the main attractions of the Big Ten Media Days. The favorite to win the conference despite watching the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes finish ahead of them in 2024, this Penn State squad is loaded. Head coach James Franklin pulled off a great strategy to bring veteran talent back.
At the core of their efforts is the return of quarterback Drew Allar. The senior passer could've wound up as the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he instead opted to continue developing and earn more wins at Happy Valley.
Franklin then parlayed that into bringing running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and defensive linemen Zane Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton back. Each should've been a fairly high NFL draft pick.
Allar was rewarded with a detailed explanation from Franklin about how he's developed and where he's at with his progress.
“I’m just proud of him. Drew has made tremendous growth every single year, all the way back to recruiting," Franklin said. "I don’t know if a lot of people remember but Drew, when we first started recruiting him, was a three-star recruit, kind of a throwback recruit. Kept getting better, kept moving up the charts.
"And has gotten better every single year, really in every single area. He's 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds now, can make every throw on the field, has shown he can hurt people with his feet. And has really made tremendous strides as a leader, holding himself to a really high standard and willing to have tough conversations with his teammates.
"He’s made significant leaps every year and we expect him to take another significant leap this year. Most people had him projected as a first-round draft choice last year and he decided to come back to school. Unfinished business, collectively, as a team, but also as an individual. I’m a big Drew fan."
Allar significantly improved his accuracy last year, completing 66.5% of a career-high 394 attempts. His 3,327 yards were a massive jump from 2023 as well, though his 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions were a less impressive ratio.
He hit a hot streak to end the regular season before struggling to make a big impact when it mattered most against Oregon and Notre Dame. Those are the moments he'll have to show growth in throughout the 2025 season.
“He’s really what’s it all about. It’s team, team, team. It's community. It’s Penn State. Proud of him."
