From FOX's Joel Klatt, a Standing Ovation for Penn State's Drew Allar
Penn State coach James Franklin has told the story a few times since the 2022 opener at Purdue. He and FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt were chatting pre-game when Klatt noticed Drew Allar, the Lions' then-freshman quarterback, taking some warm-up throws. Klatt immediately was taken.
"Joel was standing there drooling on the field watching Drew," Franklin said.
Klatt's fondness only has grown after watching Allar's film through the first two games of 2023. Now, he'll see Allar in person. Klatt and Gus Johnson will be in Champaign on Saturday when No. 7 Penn State visits Illinois at noon ET on the FOX Big Noon broadcast. Klatt can't wait.
"God turned this guy's right arm into a thunderbolt," Klatt said in a video segment previewing the Penn State-Illinois game.
Allar certainly has looked the part through Penn State's first two games. He ranks sixth nationally in completion rate (78.2 percent) and 16th in pass efficiency after his first two career starts. Allar has a 4/0 touchdown/interception ratio and has yet to throw an interception in 115 college pass attempts.
RELATED: How Penn State is preparing Drew Allar for his first road start
In the preview segment, Klatt details where Allar has been exceptional and where he can improve. Allar certainly has showcased his arm strength, notably on his 72-yard touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith against West Virginia. But Klatt also singled out a long out route that most defenses consider "free access" since they don't believe college quarterbacks can make the throw consistently. Allar has proven he can.
"[College defenses are] going to give you that wide field out or flat, and he can make that throw with ease," Franklin said. "And when you do that, it opens a lot of other aspects of your playbook up."
Klatt further dives into Allar's future and where the quarterback will improve with experience, specifically in anticipating open receivers instead of waiting them open. However, Klatt's big-picture view of Allar is quite promising.
"I'm a believer in Penn State," he said. "I think Penn State can play in the same level as Michigan and Ohio State. I don't think that was quite the case over the last couple of years. They've wanted to and, yeah, those were the only two games that they lost. But they weren't really on the level, right? They are now. One of the reasons why I believe they are is their young quarterback, Drew Allar."
Watch the whole segment here.
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