Penn State's Drew Allar Intends to Impress When He Throws at NFL Combine

The former Nittany Lions quarterback said he doesn't regret returning to Penn State, despite how his final season ended.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The question was leading, to be sure, but former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar didn't flinch from it.

"Do you think you have the best arm in the draft?" a reporter asked Allar on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. He answered confidently.

"I personally do think I do," Allar told reporters a day before throwing at the combine. "... I'm not saying that out of cockiness or anything like that. It's just something I truly believe in. And I knew this opportunity would come around for me, hopefully, so I was just trying to prepare myself to put myself in a good position to go out and throw.

"And it's not just me in this quarterback class. There's a lot of other talented quarterbacks that have been cool to get to meet and create a relationship with them. So it's been a fun process through January up until now."

Allar will throw Saturday for NFL personnel, and a curious public, Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, the first time he has done so since Oct. 11 at Beaver Stadium. Allar sustained a broken ankle in Penn State's loss to Northwestern that ended his season and college career. The next day, Penn State fired coach James Franklin.

Allar said that, since having surgery later that week, he has pointed his rehab toward throwing at the combine. The quarterback, who has been training in Los Angeles, said he will not run in Indianapolis, nor at Penn State's Pro Day in mid-March, but cast his recovery as complete.

"If I had to play a game today or tomorrow, I feel like I could go out there and get it done," Allar said.

I may be in the minority but I actually really liked Drew Allar tape https://t.co/3hhrYgDuwT

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) February 25, 2026

Allar is among the draft class' great unknowns, a one-time top quarterback of the 2025 class who now could get drafted on Day 2 or 3. He's a multi-tool thrower with plenty of answers to provide for NFL teams about everything beyond his arm.

"The first thing is my ability to process information," Allar said when asked what separates him from other quarterbacks. "Our offense at Penn State, they put a lot on me in terms of the verbiage of our play calls and responsibilities, pre-snap and post-snap. So I feel like I’ve been really well prepared for that aspect because obviously, the NFL they’re going to put a lot on the quarterbacks mentally, with pre-snap operation and everything like that.

"And physically, I have a lot of trust in an ability, in my arm talent, and I’ve been working relentlessly to get as consistent as I can and just find different ways to get better. I’m sure most of you know I’ve only been really playing quarterback since my freshman year of high school. So I feel like every year that I’ve played the position at quarterback, I’ve taken a step, and this offseason is no different, even though it looks a little bit different than what i envisioned."

Allar, from Medina, Ohio, said he has held informal meetings with multiple teams, including his childhood favorite, the Cleveland Browns. He also met with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. who drafted Christian Hackenberg in the second round in 2015.

Allar, who might have been a first-round pick in 2025, said he did not regret returning to Penn State for his fourth season. He graduated last fall and, despite securing multiple high-profile NIL deals, said that was not the reason he returned.

"My decision was not a financial decision," he said. "It was a strictly football and personal decision to return to school."

"Obviously, it’s not what I envisioned," Allar added. "I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. I’ve just taken this opportunity through this injury to better myself, both as a person, a teammate, and as a player. So, I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything happens for a reason. I’m a firm believer in that. I know everything’s going to work out for the best in the long run."

I asked Drew Allar if he’d have returned to Penn State if he knew what how the 2025 season was going to go.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. Everything happens for a reason. I’m a firm believer in that.” pic.twitter.com/7S2XyLN5hI

— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) February 27, 2026

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