In a year that will bring many drastic changes to the college football landscape, Penn State is hoping for some big results on the field. In an expanded Big Ten conference and in a season with a potentially easier path to the College Football Playoff, Penn State is viewed as a team ready to make some things happen in 2024. A talented roster returns in 2024 with some questions to answer and something to prove on both sides of the football.
The defense loses some key stars and has a new look under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. The offense will also have a new coordinator in Andy Kotelnicki, who is charged with creating some big plays with many of the same tools to work with as the team had a season ago.
Nittany Lions Wire will be taking a deeper look at the top 25 players on the roster, in no specific order, going into the 2024 season. Today we take a look at the starting quarterback on the roster, Drew Allar.
2023 in Review
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After backing up Sean Clifford during his freshman season in 2022, Drew Allar stepped into the starting job at quarterback for the Nittany Lions in 2023. He did so with high expectations for being the kind of quarterback that could help lift Penn State to the next level offensively. Unfortunately, that never quite materialized as it was envisioned.
Allar started all 13 games for Penn State in 2023, including the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. Allar passed for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns and was intercepted just twice all season long. But his completion percentage (59.9) and 6.8 yards per attempt showed the passing game as a whole just was not as effective as Penn State needed it to be. This was especially true in Penn State’s biggest games, which all resulted in losses. Allar’s worst performances statistically came against Michigan and Ohio State with completion percentages below 44% in each and just 261 combined passing yards in those games (191 yards vs. Ohio State and 70 vs. Michigan).
The year started off well with an impressive performance in the season opener against West Virginia in primetime when he completed 21 of 29 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns. But this ended up being the best Penn State fans would see out of Allar all season.
Biggest question for 2024
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The main mission for Penn State in 2024 will be generating some explosiveness in the passing game. While some of that falls on the wide receivers, Allar is the guy who has to give them those opportunities to shine. Allar will be working with a new offensive coordinator in Andy Kotelnicki, who had a pretty good track record with offensive results at Kansas. How quickly Allar picks up the offense designed by Kotelnicki will be in the spotlight, but Allar will also have to improve his recognition and touch at times as well.
How much of a leap do we see from Allar in Year 2 as a full-time starter? The results could dictate whether or not Penn State is a legitimate playoff contender or not.
The other question to keep in mind is how well Alalr connects with his receivers, and who becomes his reliable go-to target. The addition of Julian Fleming from Ohio State out of the transfer portal should help, but Penn State is also hoping to get a healthy season out of Harrison Wallace III and more production from guys like Omari Evans and Kaden Saunders.
2024 will be a success if…
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Drew Allar simply has to be better in Penn State’s toughest games. And there are a handful of tough spots awaiting the Nittany Lions this season, including the season opener at West Virginia. Penn State must also travel to USC and Wisconsin and will host Ohio State and Washington.
Penn State cannot afford to have Allar completing fewer than half of his passes in those games if they are to be a true College Football Playoff team. But it will be a success if Alalr gets in rhythm with his receivers and allows the offense to be a threat on a consistent basis.
If the calls for more playing time for Beau Pribula are limited, then that should bode well for Allar and the offense.
2024 will be a disappointment if…
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If we see more of the same from 2023, then Penn State will be no better than a first-round exit in the College Football Playoff at best. Allar took some lumps last season in his first season as a starter and things never really seem to improve as the season rolled along. If Allar shines against inferior opponents but continues to come up short against the top teams on the schedule, Penn State will end up having the same kind of results that keep preventing them from taking the next step.
While Penn State is expected to find ways to utilize both Allar and Pribula in the offense, if Pribula’s snap count increases as the season goes along, that may not speak well for what Allar is doing on the field.
Realistic outlook for 2024
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Call me optimistic, but I think Penn State is gearing up for a better season from its starting quarterback. Having seen Allar go through a full season as the starter and allowing him to go through a few growing pains will pay dividends in the 2024 season. And with a new energy injected into the offense with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Allar’s time to shine could be this season.
But more importantly, Kotelnicki has a chance to take some of the pressure off of Allar by relying more on the running game. Penn State’s running game didn’t live up to expectations last season despite having Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The two backs combined for three 100-yard games last season, with Allen having the only one until they each rushed for 100 yards in the regular season finale blowout at Michigan State. If Kotelnicki gets more out of the running game this season, then Allar’s chances to thrive should dramatically increase.
And that could make for a very entertaining Penn State football season.
For more on Drew Allar, view our 2024 player profile of Allar.
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