Height: 6-5

Weight: 240

Year: Senior

Pro Comparison: Zach Mettenberger

2026 NFL Combine Results

Pros of Drew Allar

• From an arm strength perspective, Allar throws with easy velocity and can touch every level of the football field 
• Brings a huge frame to the table; has the size to easily navigate the field from inside the pocket 
• Allar has done a great job of not turning the football over; he is careful with his decision-making, very rarely making many head-scratching decisions 
• Has experience playing both under center and from the shotgun; comfortable playing on different offensive systems  
• He is able to throw the football with easy velocity from compromised platforms; He has upper body flexibility even when his base isn’t set 
• Noted as a very good leader at his time at Penn State; He was well-liked by his teammates with no issues off the field 

Cons of Drew Allar

• Allar has erratic footwork; it seriously affects his overall accuracy and ball placement  
• Very statuesque player inside the pocket, and struggles consistently to avoid pressure inside or structure; lumbering athlete when having to break the pocket
• He is a poor deep ball thrower, struggling to push the football down the field consistently
• Allar never took the step many expected as a football player; injury in 2025 also derailed his development

Background 

Allar was consensus a four-star and top-100 player by each of the major recruiting platforms coming out in the 2022 class. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Allar finished rated as a five-star, the No. 32 overall player, the No. 4 quarterback, and the No. player from the state of Ohio, finishing just behind CJ Hicks and Sonny Styles. There was a long list of impressive programs that pushed for Allar after starring at Medina (Ohio) High School. The Nittany Lions were able to win out over Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Indiana, Washington, Kentucky, Louisville, Iowa, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Illinois, and Iowa State, among others. 

After beginning his career as a backup in 2022, Allar would take over as the starting quarterback for Penn State in each of his final three seasons. During his career, Allar managed to throw for 7,402 yards and 61 touchdowns. He also rushed for another 732 yards and 12 scores on the ground, throwing just 13 interceptions and completing nearly 65 percent of his passes. Allar broke an NCAA record when he went 311 passing attempts without throwing an interception to begin his career. Was selected as a Big-Ten Honorable Mention honoree during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. 

Allar’s father, Kevin, played football at Eastern Michigan as a tight end from 1992-97. He majored in recreation, park, and tourism management while at Penn State.

Player Evaluation

From an arm strength perspective, Allar throws with easy velocity and can touch every level of the football field. He has the strongest arm in the 2026 class in terms of velocity. Allar brings a huge frame to the table. He has the size to easily navigate the field from inside the pocket without having to extend it. Allar has done a great job of not turning the football over during the course of his career. He is careful with his decision-making, very rarely making many head-scratching decisions. Allar has experience playing both under center and from the shotgun, showing comfort playing on different offensive systems. He is also able to throw the football with easy velocity from compromised platforms. Allar has the upper body flexibility even when his base isn’t set. During the course of his Penn State career, he was noted as a very good leader. He was well-liked by his teammates with no documented issues off the field.

Allar has extremely erratic footwork. It seriously affects his overall accuracy and ball placement. He is a statuesque player inside the pocket and struggles consistently to avoid pressure inside or structure. Allar is a lumbering athlete when having to break the pocket. He is a poor deep ball thrower, struggling to push the football down the field consistently. Allar never took the step many expected as a football player. His injury in 2025 also derailed his development, which is causing some to question if he will ever get close to that perceived ceiling.

While Allar might have some intriguing physical traits, his developmental track has become extremely troubling. He is worth a potential dart throw on Day Three (rounds 4-7) of the 2026 NFL Draft, but nobody should feel confident that things ever clicked.

A to Z Rankings 

A to Z Big Board Ranking: 97th overall, QB6

A to Z Draft Grade: 6.70/10.00