Penn State QB Drew Allar reflects on his ‘surreal’ freshman season, handling expectations

PASADENA, Calif. — Under drizzling rain, Penn State’s players filed off buses toward a tent steps from the Rose Bowl. For the veterans, this was just another press junket, something they have done countless times. But for the freshmen, this was the first time they were speaking to media members since their arrival.

So when Drew Allar strolled in wearing his white No. 15 jersey, a crowd followed.

By this point, Allar should be used to attention. Since the five-star quarterback committed to the Nittany Lions in March 2021, he has been viewed as the future face of the program.

The excitement around his signing spilled over into the 2022 season as Allar emerged as the backup behind Sean Clifford. Fans chanted his name and cheered any time he touched the field. Social media went nuts whenever he spun a deep ball or fit one into a tight window. As his snap count rose, so did the expectations.

But nothing — the noise, the pressure, none of it — seems to bother Allar.

“The expectations are cool, but nobody has higher expectations for me than myself,” Allar said Saturday morning in the shadow of the Rose Bowl. “I have a lot of goals and aspirations I want to achieve throughout my life, and I’m just super excited that I came here. I feel like this place can really help all of us achieve our goals and aspirations.”

Allar called it a “surreal moment” being at the Rose Bowl as a freshman. He doesn’t expect to play against Utah on Monday. Allar also isn’t looking ahead to a highly anticipated 2023 season, choosing to focus his attention on the Utes.

In a few days, though, Clifford’s time as Penn State’s quarterback will be up. The sixth-year senior and four-year starter will be out of eligibility, handing the quarterback room over to Allar, Central York’s Beau Pribula and 2023 signee Jaxon Smolik.

Allar is the heir apparent, and it’s fully expected he’ll take the reins of the offense as soon as spring ball. That’s backed up not by the hype surrounding the blue-chip talent but how he has delivered throughout the last 11 months.

After starring at Medina High School in Ohio — throwing for 4,444 yards as a senior — Allar enrolled early at Penn State. He went through winter workouts and developed in the spring. At first, he had to adjust to the speed of the game. But he believes those practices in March and April helped him get to where he is now.

“I’m glad I enrolled early,” Allar said. “That was a huge step for me personally, and I know the other early enrollees can say the same thing. Just from a developmental standpoint, being able to get into Penn State early and get acclimated into classes and winter workouts and spring ball, that was a huge step for all of us. How we worked as a class and how the upperclassmen helped all of us benefited all of us.”

Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was instrumental in Allar’s growth and his decision to come to Penn State.

“He’s the same guy that recruited me out of high school,” Allar said. “I’m definitely glad I came here because he pushes all of us in the room. He’s very demanding of us, and that’s what I really liked about him throughout the recruiting process. I wanted to go somewhere where I would be pushed.”

Allar also wanted to learn from Clifford. Allar, a fellow Ohioan, has followed Clifford’s career for a long time, watching him go from Saint Xavier in Cincinnati to Happy Valley. Clifford assisted Allar when he was picking up the playbook. And throughout the season, he was there on a weekly basis imparting years of knowledge.

Throughout this season, Yurcich and coach James Franklin reiterated the role Clifford had in establishing a culture in the quarterback room and taking the younger guys under his wing. On Friday, Allar emphasized that himself.

“I can’t say enough things that Sean has done for me and the other quarterbacks,” Allar said. “It was about how to prepare as a starter, the do’s and don’ts, the ins and outs of what he would do differently and what he wouldn’t do differently. That benefited everyone in the room. We were able to grow and learn from that.

“… He’s started here for four years. He’s seen a lot of things and done a lot of things. From his standpoint, how he prepares helped me when I got in the game. He was always there for me, for Beau, for (Christian Veilleux). Sean has been a great mentor to all of us in the room, and I’m super glad I was here to experience it with him.”

Then of course, there were calls this year for Allar to start over Clifford from parts of Penn State’s fan base. Allar said he wasn’t aware of any of that and believes Clifford “did a great job with everything that was thrown his way this year.”

Allar also feels good about what he was able to accomplish this year on a personal level. The 6-foot-5 signal-caller didn’t redshirt, appearing in nine games. He completed 35 of 59 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns, adding 52 yards and a score on the ground.

Allar called his season-opening appearance at Purdue, when Clifford exited for a series with cramps, “a great first step.” The following week, Allar threw two touchdowns against Ohio. He led a field goal drive at Auburn and tossed two more touchdowns at Indiana.

Allar showed off his lively arm. But he also became more vocal in the huddle and more comfortable directing the offensive line protections as the season progressed.

At no point did Allar allow himself to look past any one experience. He was never publicly frustrated that he wasn’t starting. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

This season was one of growth for Allar. And soon enough, he’ll have a chance to show everyone what he learned in Year 1 with the Nittany Lions.

“The more experiences you get in anything, like in life, you’re going to get better at it and you’re going to get more comfortable at it,” Allar said. “So I’m glad I was able to play as much as I did, and I’m glad at how the season has turned out so far.”