Penn State QB Beau Pribula confident after spring camp, believes new offense is ‘right up my alley’

New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was hired to maximize the talent Penn State has at its disposal. The creative play-caller has to get the best out of five-star quarterback Drew Allar. He has to put running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton in the best positions to succeed. And he has to feature tight end Tyler Warren. They’re the headliners.

But it’s no secret Penn State has another weapon off the bench — the kind of player who can change a game in the right situation. Beau Pribula feels like he’s in that situation right now.

Pribula, the backup quarterback and fan favorite, isn’t going to overtake Allar as the starter. But the rising junior is coming off his best spring camp at Penn State. And a lot of that has to do with Kotelnicki and the multiple-look offense he’s brought to Happy Valley.

“I’ve had a ton of fun this entire spring,” Pribula said recently. “I think this offense fits me really, really well. It’s something I’ve become really comfortable with. A lot of the stuff we do is right up my alley. That’s something I’m really excited about. I think the offense fits me really well.”

Pribula didn’t necessarily have a chance to show that in last week’s Blue-White game. Kotelnicki and James Franklin kept the offense pretty vanilla, and the wind made it difficult to put much stock in his performance. Pribula completed 5 of 10 passes with an interception while playing for both the Blue and White teams. Any time he scrambled, it was two-hand touch.

Everyone knows what Pribula can do with his legs. He was the team’s third-leading rusher last year with 329 yards and six touchdowns. Some of that damage was done in garbage time. Some of it wasn’t. Pribula was used as a change-of-pace option, more frequently after Mike Yurcich was fired. He also filled in for an injured Allar and beat Rutgers.

Pribula could be more of an asset and see more looks under Kotelnicki, who has used two-quarterback packages in past stops. He’s aggressive and isn’t afraid to try new things.

“It’s how many different things that we can do and how many different looks we can give a defense,” Pribula said of Kotelnicki’s offense. “That’s exciting because it makes our job on offense easier if we can always have the defense reacting to us and being proactive on offense instead of reacting to what the defense shows.”

It isn’t just the offense that’s giving Pribula a boost. He’s grown individually, too — which is a good sign for not only Pribula, but the Penn State offense with the new season on the horizon.

“This spring I’ve stepped up my entire game,” he said. “I’m a lot more confident. I’m really comfortable out there. I think my leadership role has increased. I feel really comfortable going through my progressions, hanging in the pocket and making some downfield throws. And once the pocket collapses, I’m getting out and not just running but extending the line of scrimmage and finding people downfield at the last second. It’s just something that’s come with comfort.

“I’ve been here for a while. I can open up my entire game. And I think I’ve stepped it up this spring. I’ve had my redshirt season and last season I got some experience. But I’m in a good state of comfort, and I have a lot of confidence right now.”