Drew Allar Reveals What Makes Him Different From Other NFL Draft QBs

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar breaks down his 2026 NFL Draft prospects.

Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) takes a snap during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is among the most intriguing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. A naturally gifted quarterback, Allar possesses all of the tools required to develop into a high-caliber passer. Whichever team drafts him will attempt to develop him into a star.

Allar recently spoke exclusively with NFL Draft On SI. Allar discussed his experience at Penn State, throwing the ball at the NFL Combine, balancing being aggressive with taking checkdowns, the responsibilities he held at the line of scrimmage, and more.

Drew Allar Is Most Naturally Gifted QB In 2026 NFL Draft

JM: The NFL pre-draft process allows time for reflection. Your career at Penn State experienced some ups and downs. As you take time to reflect on the journey, how do you look back on everything that transpired?

Drew Allar: I look back on my time at Penn State with a lot of gratitude and appreciation for all of the things I got to experience. The atmospheres we played in and everything that comes with that, I’ll never forget it from that standpoint.

The most important aspect was the relationships I built. Whether that was with my teammates, coaching staff, or even the support staff. Those memories and relationships will last a lifetime. Those are the most important experiences I was able to gain throughout my time at Penn State.

JM: You threw for 49 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024. There's a 100% injury rate in football. Nobody leaves unscathed. An injury in 2025 prevented you from repeating the successes of the previous seasons.  What do you think you proved during those formative years?

Drew Allar: I feel like I became a better quarterback every single year at Penn State. From my sophomore year to my junior year, and finally to my senior year, you’ll see leaps and growths in a lot of aspects of my game.

I think I showed consistent improvement throughout my four years. I became a better athlete and a better quarterback every single season. All of those years I spent as a starter, I think you saw me develop in different ways. It showed through my play on the field.

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (QB02) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

JM: I thought you looked incredible throwing the ball at the NFL Combine. Your throwing session was pretty close to flawless. Break down the performance for me. How would you review it?

Drew Allar: I felt pretty good about it overall. I think I could have started a little bit faster. It’s one of those things where you need a minute to get into your rhythm. I caught my rhythm towards the back half of the workout. I felt really good about it.

I was pleased with how I finished. I feel pretty good about the overall body of work. I spent a lot of time working with those quarterback coaches out in California at 3DQB. I was thankful for them. They had me very prepared for everything.

I just had to go out there and play pitch and catch. That’s what it felt like at that point. There was a great group of quarterbacks at the NFL Combine. It was such a fun environment. I was throwing the ball to a great group of wide receivers too. It was a lot of fun!

JM: How would Drew Allar write his own scouting report? What are your biggest strengths, and what are you still working on to improve throughout this pre-draft process?

Drew Allar: In regards to my weaknesses, I’m always working on being more intentional with my footwork. I feel like I’m moving in the right direction. I’ve gotten a lot better in that area in the past year or so.

I’ve eliminated a lot of unnecessary movement and drops in my game and my footwork.

As far as my strengths, I can make a lot of different throws on the field from different platforms and different arm angles. I’ve always taken pride in that. I’ve put the work in.

I also feel like I can move around athletically a little better than a lot of people think I can (laughs). I can extend plays and deliver the ball down field.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass in the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

JM: That’s a terrific summary. As a quarterback who wants to play aggressive, how do you balance taking what the defense gives you with taking shots?

Drew Allar: The two things we always talked about in our quarterback room at Penn State was just take what is given to you. If that’s the touchdown home run play, go hit the big play. If that’s the checkdown, you have to take the checkdown.

It’s about aggressive decisions and aggressive location of the ball. If you make a decision that’s more on the aggressive side, you better be sure about your ball placement. You have to be responsible.

If you have to sail one out of bounds on an out route, at least you avoided a turnover and live to fight another down. I have to be smart with my decision making and ball placement.

It’s all about balancing being aggressive with being smart.

JM: Speaking of the quarterback room at Penn State, I want to expand on the responsibilities you had at the line of scrimmage. How much freedom were you given to run the offense? How is that going to help you transition to the NFL?

Drew Allar: I think what’s going to help me the most is the verbiage of our playbook at Penn State. I had to spit out some pretty long plays. We were very tedious with our play calling. I feel very prepared for the verbiage and the new language I’m going to have to learn.

As far as the responsibilities I had at the line of scrimmage, I was making the checks. I was tasked with getting us into the best looks possible. I had to manage that, as well as the run game.

As far as the passing game went, I felt really good about my ability to set the protections. I was making protection calls. I knew where to go with the ball if I was hot. Penn State did a great job preparing me for all of these scenarios.

I understood our passing concepts. I understood when to get in and out of different plays. Whatever the case was, I felt very prepared and capable.

JM: We appreciate you breaking that down for us. If you had to compare yourself to a current NFL quarterback, who would you choose and why? Anyone in particular you try to study and learn from?

Drew Allar: The two names that always come to mind are Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. From a stature standpoint, I’m pretty similar to both of those guys from a height and weight perspective.

Of course I love watching those two guys play. They’re obviously very different quarterbacks with different skill sets. They always find ways to win games though. I’m always trying to take something from the quarterbacks I’ve been around, whether that was in college or guys I’m watching in the NFL.

I love watching Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. I love studying and learning from them.

JM: What are the three most important traits an NFL quarterback must have to succeed at the next level?

Drew Allar: I would say leadership, competitiveness, and desire. I feel like those three things help cultivate a lot of success. You can win a lot of games in the NFL with those three traits right there.

JM: Do you have any pre-draft visits or virtual meetings lined up? Did you have any formal interviews at the NFL Combine?

Drew Allar: I’ve spoken with a lot of teams throughout this process. It’s been a lot of fun to meet with these coaches from all these different teams. Some of them, I may have even had some overlap with when it came to high school and college recruiting.

It’s been a really fun process. I’ve learned more about football and playing quarterback in the NFL. I’ve been getting glimpses into different systems maybe I haven’t been exposed to yet. I’m enjoying it. I’ve looked forward to all of the pre-draft events.

JM: We’ve appreciated your time today. This conversation has highlighted why Drew Allar is one of the best quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft. When a team uses a pick on you, what kind of guy are you going to be at the next level?

Drew Allar: I’m going to be a high character guy who is going to come in, keep his head down and go to work. I’m going to do whatever I can to contribute to winning. Whether that means I’m playing, or preparing myself as if I’m the starter, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I want to help us win games. I’m going to get better every single day.