Pete Thamel, Senior College Sports Insider
Penn State star quarterback Drew Allar has informed the school’s coaching staff of his intention to return for his senior year in 2025, sources told ESPN.
Alar projects to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in major college football next year as he threw for 5,869 yards and 50 touchdowns during his career at Penn State. His expected return will make him one of the biggest names in the sport heading into the 2025 season.
Alar’s decision comes after a strong finish to the 2024 season. He led Penn State to the Big Ten Championship Game and a No. 6 seed in the College Football Playoff, where the Nittany Lions will face No. 11 SMU in the CFP first round on Dec. 21.
Alar compiled a 21-5 record as a starter at Penn State and his completion percentage (63.6%) was the highest of any quarterback in school history. He also has the highest efficiency (146.4) and lowest interception percentage (1.16) in school history. Alar only threw nine interceptions in 773 career interception attempts.
In 2023, Alar threw 25 touchdown passes and two interceptions. This year, under Andy Kotelnicki, he has adopted a more aggressive approach and has thrown 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His yards per attempt increased from 6.8 in 2023 to 8.9.
Alar is a 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback with the size and ability to fit an NFL prototype.
He becomes an interesting case in the NFL in the final weeks of the season, as quarterbacks in this class are generally considered significantly weaker than last year, which saw a record six quarterbacks selected in the top 12 picks . There is uncertainty over which quarterback will be selected next after Colorado’s Shaddell Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Allar as the No. 4 quarterback prospect in the upcoming NFL draft, while ESPN’s Jordan Reid ranks him as the No. 1 quarterback The third-ranked player in the rankings and the 30th-ranked player overall. ESPN’s Matt Miller also has him ranked No. 30 if he enters this draft.
Alar’s expected return would put him at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft quarterback discussion, tied with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
The news comes after backup quarterback Beau Pribula decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal Sunday night. He told PSU officials he would not remain with the team during the College Football Playoff.
