play
Drew Allar zips miracle TD pass on 4th down to bring PSU back in it (0:20)
Drew Allar brings Penn State within eight points late in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Harrison Wallace III against the Ducks. (0:20)
Pete Thamel, Senior College Sports InsiderDec 16, 2024, 11:18 AM ET
- College Football Senior Writer for ESPN. Insider for College Gameday.
Penn State star quarterback Drew Allar has informed the school's coaching staff of his intention to return for his senior year in 2025.
Allar, who announced the decision Monday on social media, projects be one of the most productive quarterbacks in major college football heading into next season, as he has thrown for 5,869 yards and 50 touchdowns in his Penn State career. His return puts him among the sport's most recognizable names for the 2025 season.
He posted a strong finish to the 2024 season, leading Penn State to the Big Ten title game and a No. 6 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions will host No. 11 SMU in the first round of the CFP on Dec. 21.
Allar is 21-5 as a Penn State starter and has the highest completion percentage (63.6%) of any quarterback in school history. He also has the highest passing efficiency rating (146.4) and the lowest interception rate (1.16) ever at the school. He has thrown just nine career picks in 773 attempts.
In 2023, Allar had 25 touchdown passes and two interceptions. This season, in a more aggressive scheme under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, he has 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His yards-per-attempt average is up to 8.9 from 6.8 in 2023.
Allar's production and 6-foot-5, 235-pound size fit the NFL archetype.
He has emerged as an interesting NFL prospect over the final weeks of the season, as the current quarterback class is considered distinctly weaker than last year's, when a record six signal-callers were chosen among the top 12 picks. After Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward, there's ambiguity over which quarterback will be chosen next.
Among ESPN analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. had Allar No. 4 in his latest quarterback rankings for the upcoming draft, and Jordan Reid put him No. 3 at the position and No. 30 overall. ESPN's Matt Miller also ranked Allar No. 30 overall if he had decided to go out in this draft.
Allar's expected return now positions him at the top of the 2026 NFL draft quarterback conversation, putting him alongside LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
The news comes in the wake of backup quarterback Beau Pribula's decision Sunday night to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Pribula told PSU officials that he will not stay with the team during the College Football Playoff.
