Penn State's Drew Allar Returns at NFL Combine With Plenty to Prove

Former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar hasn't thrown a pass on the big stage since Oct. 11. On Saturday, he'll return to the spotlight with plenty to prove.

Twenty weeks after his season-ending injury, Allar is scheduled to throw for NFL personnel, and doubting fans, at the NFL Scouting Combine. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Allar has recovered from October surgery for a broken ankle and will take part in throwing drills Feb. 28 at Lucas Oil Stadum in Indianapolis.

There, Allar seeks to revive an NFL Draft resume that looked so promising last season. Once considered the potential No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 draft, Allar now is a projected third-round selection, though ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Allar as his No. 3 quarterback in the class.

Former Penn St. QB Drew Allar, who has recovered from season-ending ankle surgery, will throw this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. pic.twitter.com/rctHkN6emB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 25, 2026

By throwing at the combine, Allar will address the questions surrounding his recovery. Notably, how has his ankle reacted to surgery and rehab, how has Allar avoided developing footwork issues and how his arm held up over the past four months?

Allar has not thrown a pass since the fourth quarter of Penn State's 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11 at Beaver Stadium. He sustained the broken ankle scrambling on third down. Penn State fired head coach James Franklin the following day.

A month later, Allar said that he considered the injury to be a "blessing." It was the first major injury of his Penn State career and prompted him to reflect on his career and assess his future.

"I think my best football is ahead of me," Allar said in a candid call with reporters. "Honestly, this injury might be a blessing for me, just to be able to kind of sit back and reflect on different things and just learn different things, whether that be offensive schemes or defensive schemes.

"... I've been watching a lot of NFL film already. It's good to start breaking down some defenses, just kind of see what it's like, see the different tendencies and just try to soak up all the knowledge that I can in this process. And I think, for me personally, I know the best football's ahead of me in my career, and I'm excited to have a chance to showcase that and just get back on track and just playing football again."

Allar (6-5, 235 pounds) won't have to convince NFL personnel that he has the size and pure arm strength to play in the NFL. He also should wow GMs diagramming and diagnosing plays during his interviews. Brad Maendler, his personal coach since high school, said Allar commands offenses with his instinct and work habits.

"He's got this tremendous ability to retain information and remember it," Maendier said. "He's truly an elephant, just has this crazy memory. So he knows the progressions, and then through film study and practice, he's got this mental image of what open means, right? And so that could mean the angle of a linebacker's hips [determines] whether or not something is going to be open. So what you have to be able to do is see that in a snapshot in time and make a very quick, decisive decision. That's what he's really good at."

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats. — Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar looks to throw a pass during the third quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

By throwing at the combine, Allar will have an opportunity to shed some of the concerns about his game. But he can't dissolve all of them throwing to receivers in a controlled envirionment.

At Penn State, Allar had a flawed habit of succumbing to pressure. He ended three straight Penn State losses (against Oregon in the 2024 Big Ten title game, Notre Dame in the 2024 Orange Bowl and Oregon in the 2025 White Out) with interceptions.

According to his NFL.com scouting report, Allar processes coverages inconsistently, misses open targets and "struggles to come off pre-snap ideas and alter his plan."

He won't fix any of that simply by throwing at the NFL Scouting Combine. But Allar can prove that an ankle injury won't prevent him from addressing those concerns. He also can explain to NFL personnel how last season might have made him stronger, something he discussed last fall.

"I've had a lot of time to reflect on it. Maybe not the most fun subject to do for myself," Allar said. "But for me personally, we wouldn't be in this position if I find ways to make more plays throughout the game. Just going back to the Oregon game, if I find different ways to get going early or make the game finish a different way, I think that changes the outlook on our season."

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