Penn State adds Drew Allar, Beau Pribula to quarterback room

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State locked in its quarterback of the now last week when redshirt senior Sean Clifford announced he’ll return for a sixth season of college football, thanks to an NCAA eligibility waiver.

And Wednesday, the Nittany Lions added two potential quarterbacks of the future when Medina (Ohio) five-star Drew Allar and Central York three-star Beau Pribula signed their national letters of intent as part of national signing day.

Over the past 18 months, Penn State has remade its quarterback room with additions (Christian Veilleux, Allar, Pribula), subtractions (Will Levis, Micah Bowens, Michael Johnson, Ta’Quan Roberson) and returners (Clifford). It has given offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich much to work with entering his second season with coach James Franklin’s program. On Wednesday morning, that focus was on Allar and Pribula in the Class of 2022.

“If those guys continue to battle against one another, all they’re going to do is make each other better,” Yurcich said on Penn State’s signing day live stream. “I’m excited to coach both of those guys and to have them join our existing quarterback room, have those guys learn from Sean and see where this thing can go.”

Allar was the obvious headliner in the class after his meteoric rise over the past year or so. Multiple recruiting services rank the 6-foot-5, 225-pound signal-caller as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation. Allar was ranked as the top offensive player in the nation by 247Sports. In his senior season at Medina, he threw for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns with only seven interceptions.

Allar was the first quarterback Penn State offered after Yurcich became the offensive coordinator in January.

“Drew’s got a tremendous ability to throw the football down the field,” Yurcich said. “He can stretch you vertically, horizontally, he can make off-platform throws. He’s done a really good job of developing his skill set over the years. He’s still growing into his body. He’s got a huge frame. … He’s got a really strong arm, but it’s not necessarily about arm strength, but it’s about how you transition your weight and deliver the football in an efficient manner. You don’t necessarily have to have quote-unquote a strong arm, but he’s also able to combine everything, get the ball out quick.”

Yurcich is a native of Euclid, Ohio, which is near Allar’s hometown of Medina, and the quarterback said the two used their “Northeast Ohio connection” to build their relationship. Allar has seen what Clifford, also an Ohio native, accomplished in 2021, and Allar can see himself carving out his role in it.

“I think his offense is just kind of similar to what we ran at Medina, very uptempo, lots of shifts and motions to fool the defense and they throw it a lot, and I think that really fits my play style,” Allar said during Penn State’s signing day live stream. “I’m just really looking forward to learning as much as I can from him and Coach Franklin.”

Pribula committed to Penn State before his junior season in 2020 and stuck with his commitment through two seasons where the Nittany Lions went a combined 11-10. At 6-2, 205 pounds, the York native has drawn comparisons to former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley.

And Wednesday, McSorley announced Pribula’s signing in a video message, and Franklin invoked the current Arizona Cardinals backup when addressing Pribula and his family in a video call.

“You’re the total package,” Franklin told Pribula. “I told you that. I think you know how I feel about Trace McSorley and how he handled his entire career here at Penn State, and no disrespect to Trace, but I think you’ve got a chance to do things that Trace wasn’t able to do. Got such a bright future, and it’s the whole package.”

Pribula relished the opportunity to stay in his home state and play for its flagship football program. Over the past two seasons, Pribula led Central York to a 21-2 record, including an appearance in the PIAA Class 6A title game in 2020. He threw for 4,832 yards and 67 touchdowns while rushing for 939 yards and 23 touchdowns.

“He can do everything on the football field, and that’s what we told him when we were recruiting him,” Yurcich said. “There’s not a play in our playbook that he can’t run, which is exciting. I think he brings a competitiveness like no other. I think his leadership skills are over-the-top good, and he’s been awesome.”

Both Allar and Pribula are expected to be January enrollees, which will allow them to have a full spring and full offseason with Penn State as they adjust to the college game.

Clifford’s return lessens the pressure on one or both to step up and challenge Veilleux, but their influx of talent should increase the level of competition there.

And then it’s on Yurcich, Franklin and the rest of the offensive staff to develop the newcomers.

“They’re both tremendous young men,” Yurcich said. “The character aspect of it, I think that’s very important. Both come from really good football programs, both were coached extremely well in high school in great football communities, and most importantly, their families are both loving and awesome. We couldn’t be happier with what they bring to the table from an athletic standpoint. They’re going to compete against each other, make each other better. They’re going to make the whole entire room better, so we couldn’t be happier from that standpoint. Both guys are top-notch, great students and the future is bright here.”