Scouting Report On Penn State QB Drew Allar

August 21, 2025

A former five-star recruit and a player truly in the Penn State mold, Drew Allar is entering his true senior season and his third as the starter in State College. After putting together a solid debut season in 2023, he became one of the best quarterbacks in college football as a junior last year, leading the Nittany Lions to an 11-1 regular season, a Big Ten Championship Game appearance and two wins in the College Football Playoff.

Statistically, Allar had a big year. He threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 302 rushing yards and another six touchdowns on the ground. Despite some buzz that he could have been a first-round pick in 2025, perhaps even the second quarterback taken, Allar chose to return to school for his senior season. Penn State is poised for a big year as one of the favorites to win a national title, and they’re ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP poll. Not only is Allar ready to lead them to great things, but he can continue to refine his own game and raise his stock even further.

Measuring at 6-5, 236 pounds, Allar looks like he was built in a lab to play quarterback in the NFL. He checks every prototypical physical box you could want, from his stature to his build to his arm strength. Arm talent is definitely on the top line of his scouting report, and fans usually associate that with deep passing, like this:

Look at the casual arm strength on display here. Penn State QB Drew Allar beats the rush with a beautiful moon ball reminiscent of some of the NFL's best.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:06:07.762Z

Allar is certainly a prolific thrower of the deep ball, but his arm strength is more noteworthy in its velocity, rather than distance. He can casually fire balls in on ropes to tight windows, in-breaking patterns, and more. Just watch how hard he throws this routine pass:

Penn State QB Drew Allar's arm talent is impressive to watch. Just fires an absolute rocket to the receiver slashing through the Cover 3 defense.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T19:56:34.672Z

It’s more than just a fast throw — Allar’s pass creates a touchdown that otherwise wouldn’t have been there. The defense is in Cover 3 here, and Allar hits the outside receiver in the stacked formation right in stride at the perfect time, carrying him upfield and away from the safety.

Allar has more NFL-worthy throws on his tape than any other quarterback in this class, and it’s not particularly close. Watch how quickly he reads this play and makes the throw:

I love watch Penn State QB Drew Allar operate over the middle of the field. Defense is throwing out a disguised coverage on third-and-long, and Allar still finds the streaking slot receiver and puts it right on him.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:02:40.317Z

What makes Allar special is more than just great arm talent. It’s how he pairs that with reliable decision-making and fast reads. The defense was in a disguised coverage here, and he was able to process that post-snap as it unfolded and still found the open man, putting the pass right on him out of his break.

Here’s another example:

Another beautiful throw by Penn State QB Drew Allar. Defense is running Cover 3 here — Allar showcases his clean mechanics and delivers a perfect strike to the in-breaking receiver.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:13:42.218Z

To beat a Cover 3 defense, the Penn State playcaller had the slot receiver run a clear-out route and had the outside receiver cut in behind him. As soon as the receiver makes his cut, Allar fires that ball in there, hitting him in the chest as soon as he clears the defender. He does it again later in the same game:

Great tight-window throw from Penn State QB Drew Allar. Defense is in Cover 1, and Allar places the ball perfectly, before the safety closes in.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:14:52.264Z

This is a slant-and-go (sluggo) route combined with a post. This is against a Cover 1 look, which is primarily a man-coverage scheme. As soon as the receiver breaks off his stem and cuts in, Allar delivers a strike, connecting with his man before the safety can get over to break it up.

Here’s what Allar can do in the red zone:

This pass by Penn State QB Drew Allar is on a rope to beat pretty good coverage by the defender. Just carves the heart out of this red zone defense.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:00:18.102Z

The field is condensed, but Allar’s arm strength is still a major plus. Not every quarterback can make this throw, but he delivers it with accuracy and timing. That pass was a laser, and if it wasn’t, it might’ve gotten batted down by the defender.

Just for fun, here’s Allar delivering another strike:

Another good find by Penn State QB Drew Allar. Defense bails into a version of Cover 2 at the snap, and he makes a quick read and a great pass.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:04:34.176Z

The defense shows pressure initially, but bails into a Cover 2 shell post-snap. Allar doesn’t waste any time, finds his man, and puts it on him before the defense can react.

As I hope you’ve noticed through these clips, it’s not just raw strength with Allar. He’s a precise downfield passer, delivering beautiful passes into some tight windows and consistently throwing with plus ball placement. Here’s an example:

Penn State QB Drew Allar's downfield accuracy is on full display here. Pinpoint pass to the out route against a Cover 3 look, and he makes it look easy.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T19:58:33.824Z

Another Cover 3 defense, and the corner was in pretty good position here. But Allar throws it to the outside shoulder of the receiver, perfectly placed on the opposite sideline. This is an NFL-level throw, no question, and there are a few starters in the league who might not be able to make this play.

Don’t think Allar is a single-speed passer, either. He has a lot of clubs in his bag, so to speak, and throws with touch and anticipation as needed. Here’s a pretty little back-shoulder throw down the sideline:

Beautiful back-shoulder throw here by Penn State QB Drew Allar. Puts it where only his guy can get it, with the right amount of touch to hang where it needs to. Textbook.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:17:24.981Z

You can’t ask for better ball placement than that. Lofts it up where his guy knows to go get it, puts it right on the sideline, and doesn’t risk an interception. Watch him throw this end zone fade:

Penn State QB Drew Allar isn't a one-speed passer. Gorgeous touch on this end zone fade, making it a much easier catch for his running back.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:10:18.550Z

This is a beautiful throw. Puts some air under it to give his running back a chance, places it right over his head, and lets him go to work. Great stuff.

This is a good example of a different type of touch and placement on a pass:

Just fantastic touch under duress by Penn State QB Drew Allar. Knows he's going to take a shot, stands tall in the pocket and delivers a perfect throw exactly where his receiver needs it to be.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:07:30.281Z

Allar knows he’s going to get leveled on this play, but that doesn’t faze him. He stands tall in the pocket and absorbs the hit, but not before throwing an absolutely gorgeous pass. Places it right between the two defenders, putting just enough touch on it that it hangs just for a moment, enough time for his receiver to run under it. But it still arrives before the safety can get to it.

He’s not just a pocket passer, either. While I wouldn’t label him quite the level of rushing threat that other quarterbacks in this class are, he’s great at moving in the pocket and buying time with his legs. Watch this play:

Penn State QB Drew Allar isn't just a pocket passer. Buys time with his legs while keeping his eyes downfield, and despite being unable to reset his feet, delivers an accurate pass for a key fourth-down conversion.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:08:58.131Z

Allar never gets a chance to fully reset, but he escapes the pressure, finds a lane to move up in the pocket, and hits his man for a first down off one leg. That’s another example of his natural arm talent, too.

And yes, Allar can run. He does so here:

Penn State QB Drew Allar can create with his legs when needed. Escapes the pocket and takes off downfield, sliding to protect himself from a big hit.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:11:24.733Z

True, he’s not the smoothest mover in the open field. But he runs with vision and knows how to protect himself. He’ll find gaps in the defense and take advantage of them, and he’s deceptively quick once he puts his foot in the ground.

He’s also a strong, tough runner:

This should have been a sack. Then it should've been a tackle short of the sticks. Penn State QB Drew Allar is more elusive than he gets credit for, and he showcased some serious strength here as well to keep the play alive and run for a first down.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:16:17.610Z

This should’ve been a sack, and even when he escaped that, he should’ve been tackled for a moderate gain. Allar runs for a first down through sheer strength and willpower, bucking defenders and shrugging off tacklers to get the first down. He can make things happen with his legs — he’s not a statue back there by any means.

Now, I’ll show you two plays that sum up everything I’ve outlined so far. First, here’s Allar displaying pocket movement, touch, and accuracy:

Plays like this are a big part of the sell on Penn State QB Drew Allar for me. Buys time in the pocket and leads his receiver open with a coverage-beating throw.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:20:41.793Z

Allar buys time in the pocket by getting some depth, then throws his receiver open, lofting a pass that leads his target away from the coverage defenders towards the open grass.

Next, here’s Allar making a ridiculous play, fighting through a sack to deliver a strike in a tiny window:

I mean…come on. Penn State QB Drew Allar is actively fighting off a sack, alters his arm angle to get the pass off, and still fires an absolute bullet into the tightest of windows in the end zone.

— Ethan Woodie (@ethanwoodienfl.bsky.social) 2025-08-20T20:18:44.502Z

This is probably my favorite rep on Allar’s tape, just because it highlights everything I love about his game. He moves up in the pocket and stands tall while a defender’s attempting to yank him to the ground, only to throw an off-balance missile pass right into his receiver’s hands, between two defenders. With an alternate arm angle, no less. It doesn’t get much better than this.

In terms of what Allar can improve on, his accuracy on the move could be better. His mechanics can break down when he leaves the pocket, even when he has time to reset. He also has a few plays on his tape that make you wonder what he was thinking. The kinds of throws that have coaches and fans alike tearing their hair out. For the most part, he plays a clean brand of football, with minimal turnovers and risky plays despite a bunch of high-level, downfield attacks. But every now and then, he’ll hoist one up he never should have thrown.

Additionally, I’d just generally like to see him elevate his game in his team’s biggest moments. His tape is riddled with high-level NFL reps, but he hasn’t shown the ability to put his team on his back and carry them to wins against the best competition. He’ll have chances to do that as a senior, and it would do a lot for his draft stock.

I have Allar as my QB2 and a top 10 overall player in this class as we approach college football season. There’s so much to like on his tape — he reminds me a lot of Chargers QB Justin Herbert when he was in college at Oregon. Big-bodied quarterback with elite arm talent and decent mobility. The way Allar throws is very reminiscent of Herbert in college.

We’ll see how Allar progresses this year. Even if he doesn’t improve much, he’ll still be in first-round discussions at minimum, and a big step forward could see him compete to be the No. 1 overall pick. Don’t forget, he can make plays like this: