Why Drew Allar’s growth on and off the field can make Penn State’s offense explosive this season
Drew Allar’s first year as a starting quarterback did not go the way many fans had hoped. The Penn State quarterback didn’t turn the ball over much, but did not create the explosive plays that were needed to take the offense to the next level. Still, he won 10 games — falling slightly below the high expectations — and led the team to a New Year’s Six bowl, marking the end of a good season for the then-sophomore.
Penn State head coach James Franklin went a step further when he spoke to the Centre Daily Times in June.
“Not just good,” Franklin said. “If you compare him to some of the top quarterbacks in the country over the last three to five years, you could make the argument — elite.”
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps to be taken.
That’s part of the reason Franklin brought in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas. Kotelnicki and Allar are tasked with moving the offense forward and having it take the next step to being elite. That starts at the top, because no player can change the direction of the season more than the young quarterback.
And Allar has made strides as a leader — speaking with more authority and an air of confidence — and on the field to put himself in position to take Penn State to the next level.
Growing as a leader
The leadership component may be a larger part of the equation than some realize. The Nittany Lions had a talented group of offensive weapons in the backfield last season in Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, but none of them were particularly vocal.
That’s fine from the running backs, but typically a quarterback needs to exercise more control of the team as the most important player on the field. Allar said he’s already started doing that.
“I wanted to be very intentional in taking my next steps in my progression in being more of a vocal leader,” Allar said. “... I want to be that vocal leader for the team. I want to be on the same page as all the players and then be that communicator between players and coaching staff and coaching staff to players, relaying whatever message I need to. And just being open and honest with my thoughts of philosophy, offense, my likes and dislikes on plays because that’s important.”
It’s one thing for Allar to profess that he’s been better as a leader, but even newcomers are noticing what he’s done to try to bring the team together this offseason.
That includes Kotelnicki, who said leadership has come easily to Allar when it’s had to, and he’s even made a point to take ownership of the offense when the players are away from program-organized team activities.
“He’s taken it upon himself to meet with and spend time with receivers and other positions to grow and make sure they kind of see (things similarly), and watch film together,” Kotelnicki said. “He’s doing those things to generate some connectivity, but also to say ‘here’s what we see, here’s why we should do it this way.’ He’s collaborating with them.”
‘Explosive’ is the goal
Those workouts should prove useful when the season rolls around and Allar is once again in the spotlight on game days. The talent in the wide receiver room is different — with Dante Cephas and KeAndre Lambert-Smith gone and Julian Fleming in their place — and that group will have to be on the same page as their starter.
Some of that will be about Allar’s connection with his receivers, some will be about his trust in himself and his talent.
That can come with maturity and, entering year two as a starter, there are some aspects Allar feels more comfortable with that he did in year one.
“There’s a lot more dialogue,” Allar said. “I think that just increases trust and we have a ton of talent in that receiver room. We have guys that can make contested catches and they’ve shown that already in camp. They’re earning the right to allow me to throw those balls downfield and I just have to give them a shot to touch the ball.”
Kotelnicki has noticed some of that maturity with his quarterback. While he wasn’t the 20-year-old’s coordinator last season, he began to notice the maturity and growth that comes with added experience.
Some of that is in his athleticism, where Kotelnicki said he’s moving well, and some is in the mental aspect of the game.
Regardless of how, though, the offensive coordinator wants Allar to be explosive, and help the offense be explosive.
“He’s continued to grow naturally — like you would think naturally through being in a college football program, at least a good one — in his arm talent and what he’s doing in his decision making,” Kotelnicki said. “... The arm talent piece, to be able to get it to explosive players, that’s what a quarterback would do that makes them explosive. But then his processing speed, to be able to get that done quick enough that he can get that ball to that player to make them be explosive.”
The quarterback and the play-caller seem to be on the same page as camp begins and the team begins its general preparation for the season before honing in on West Virginia by the end of the month.
There is reason for optimism with both, as Allar and Kotelnicki possess the attributes to take the offense to the next level. But there is no way to know just how real the progress is for now.
Instead, it will have to wait. And on Aug. 31 in Morgantown, West Virginia, they will either show more of the same from last season’s Nittany Lion offense — or they will give reason for hope that this will be the year that Penn State finally breaks through.
This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 11:23 AM.
