Former Penn State offensive lineman argues that Drew Allar’s full potential was never put ‘on full display’
Landon Tengwall breaks down Drew Allar’s rise, injury-shortened 2025 season, and the film that showed his true ceiling, revealing where Penn State’s star quarterback flashed greatness and how it all slipped away.
On the most recent episode of Landon Tengwall’s College Football Show, the former Penn State OL opened the show with a blunt question regarding Nittany Lions QB Drew Allar and the program at large: “How the hell did we get here?” At the start of the 2025 season, expectations surrounding Allar were sky-high. He was the face of the Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback room, coming off strong years, and projected to dominate the Big Ten. Instead, Penn State dropped early games, Allar endured a season-ending injury, and head coach James Franklin was promptly fired. With their season derailed and a collegiate career in jeopardy, the program entered a stage of chaos, leaving fans anxious and many players weighing their options in the transfer portal.
Tengwall’s critique and analysis
Allar entered 2025 with plenty of momentum behind him. His 2023 season saw him complete 233 of 389 passes (59.9 %) for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. In 2024, Allar threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns, earning him status as one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
In 2025, things changed dramatically. He completed 103 of 159 attempts (64.8 %) for 1,100 passing yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but his season ended prematurely. Allar suffered a leg injury in his team’s 22-21 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats and was ruled out for the remainder of the year.
For Tengwall, the loss of Allar set off a domino effect that further unraveled Penn State’s season. However, drawing on his experience as an offensive lineman, Tengwall claimed that even prior to the injury, Allar wasn’t playing to his full caliber.
Tengwall recalled Allar’s best game — his first start — against West Virginia Mountaineers in 2023 when he went 21 of 29 for 325 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. “Not only was it Drew Allar’s best game statistically of his career. . . but the things he put on film mechanically. . . his ability to throw off-platform throws. . . things that I’ve rarely seen from him the past two years.” Tengwall highlighted that rare burst of elite execution — his ability to perform under pressure, keeping his eyes downfield, and delivering on target. “He never stopped to set up. He just fired this thing. Full-on confidence. . . I did not see Drew Allar panic.”
Tengwall believes that the blueprint for a huge 2025 season was there, but the inconsistency that followed led to unfulfilled potential.
At his apex (that West Virginia game), Allar looked like the QB many hoped he’d become. Razor-sharp mechanics, poise in pocket, take-it-to-the-house arm talent. However, prior to his injury in 2025, Allar wasn’t showing the sustained production needed to be an elite quarterback. With the 2025 totals showing just 8 touchdowns before his injury, the drop off was stark. The season-ending injury not only marked a premature stop to his season but — given NCAA eligibility rules — it marked the end of his college career.
Tengwall argues that Allar’s true potential was never fully realized: “It always felt like he never put it on full display for an entire game throughout his collegiate career. . . except for one.”
From the team’s perspective, the loss of the high-profile quarterback at the worst possible time triggered massive ripple effects in leadership and offensive confidence. In Tengwall’s words: “It hurts to see almost because you see how much talent and confidence he had.”
For Tengwall, Allar’s story is a tale of lost potential: from ascending star to wounded veteran, from promise to uncertainty.
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