Penn State's Drew Allar Still 'Leaving His Mark' Despite Injury

Allar's senior season ended after six games, but the captain remains a vital part of Penn State's offense.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterbacks Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) and Drew Allar (15) share a moment together following the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar sustained a broken ankle against Northwestern in October, an injury that ended his season in a career-defining year. With a long road ahead, Allar easily could have focused solely on himself and his rehab, turning the page toward his professional career. 

But he didn’t. Allar has been present and vocal in the locker room and joined the team for road games to Ohio State and Michigan State. On Saturday, Allar will be recognized before Penn State’s game against Nebraska as part of the team’s Senior Day ceremony. 

“He's in every meeting, he's in every practice, and he travels with us on the road,” Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said. “That’s true leadership. He's been very special for us. He's been a great role model and resource to [quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer]. He's leaving his mark on us in a different way, and is super positive. I’m thankful that he's still around and with us.”

Allar came to Penn State in 2022 as the nation’s top-ranked quarterback recruit who would earn the No. 2 role as a freshman and the starting job as a sophomore. Teammates voted him as a two-time team captain. 

Allar started just six games this season, sustaining the season-ending injury late in Penn State’s loss to Northwestern. He finished his career with 7,402 passing yards (fourth in school history) and 61 passing touchdowns. Allar’s career completion rate of 63.1 percent ranks first in Penn State history. 

CBS’ Jenny Dell reported during the Penn State-Michigan State game that Allar expects to resume training by Jan. 1. In the meantime, he remains a leading voice for Penn State’s offense.

Before Grunkemeyer made his first career start against Iowa, Allar texted his fellow quarterback daily to stay in touch and help him prepare. He charts plays on the sideline and throws with the quarterbacks during commercial breaks.  

RELATED: Penn State's Terry Smith conducts emotional press conference

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) on the field prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

An 'incredible ambassador' for Penn State

Allar’s dedication to his teammates made Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft shed a few tears during an October press conference. It also prompted Smith to give a lengthy, thoughtful answer about Allar’s impact on the program. 

“Drew means everything to us,” Smith said. “Obviously we've won a lot of football games with him under the helm. He's a tremendous leader, a tremendous part of our locker room, our culture. When we go back to the subject of opting out and guys can walk away — he's injured, he's done for the year, he could easily detach from this team.”

In that October press conference, Kraft hit on a few things. He said Allar is going to be an “incredible ambassador” for the program. Kraft also said that Allar, though he has faced a lot of adversity at Penn State, will be an “incredible pro football player.” 

“To see someone who's gone through a lot at a young age — anyone who ever doubts that young man's commitment to Penn State and Penn State football, you don't know what the hell you're talking about,” Kraft said. “Sorry, I can't believe I'm getting that emotional, but Drew's one hell of a young man. He puts up with a lot of crap. And I get it, the NIL era, but he's still a kid. And there's not a negative word that comes up when I think of Drew.”

“I’ve got to be honest,” Kraft added. “The fact that he's stuck with us, it's pretty awesome.”

Penn State hosts Nebraska on Saturday for its final home game of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

Drew Allar made the trip to Michigan State: pic.twitter.com/S2Mt9q8CqW

— Joel Haas (@Joel_Haas1) November 15, 2025

Penn State news and notes

• Smith said that Penn State reached all four goals it set for the Michigan State game: to “dominate” the line of scrimmage, to “play with passion and pride,” to get Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton a combined 30 touches (they had 45) and to pressure the quarterback (Penn State made five sacks).

• Penn State’s Tyler Duzansky is a semifinalist for the Mannelly Award, given to the nation’s top long snapper. Penn State’s Chris Stoll won the award in 2022.

• Penn State’s regular-season finale against Rutgers on Nov. 29 will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

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