3 questions for the Penn State football quarterbacks heading into summer

The first Penn State summer semester is underway. Before long, summer workouts will begin. The work put in by head coach James Franklin’s players between early June and late July will pave the way to preseason camp. Some of it will be done under the direction of head strength coach Chuck Losey and his staff. The other part will be player-led. All of it will get the team ready to put the pads back on.

As the temperature rises and summer approaches, Blue-White Illustrated is taking a look at the top questions facing each position group. We start with the quarterbacks.

1. Is Drew Allar ready to take a step forward?

This is the debate of the offseason. From a statistical standpoint, Drew Allar had a fine first season as the Penn State starting quarterback. He tossed 25 touchdowns to just two interceptions and threw for 2,631 yards. But, the Ohio native, like the rest of the offense, struggled against the best opponents on the schedule. And, so, it’s in that area where Allar must improve. It’s not just on him alone, of course. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will be tasked with many things. One of them is unlocking all of Allar’s talents on a more consistent basis. He can do plenty schematically to help with that. Graduate assistant/quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien is a key cog in the machine, as well. But the keys to the offense, and Allar’s improvement, will ultimately be in the quarterback’s control. If he rises to the occasion, and gets help from those around him, Penn State will be better for it. If not, more frustrating days like the ones we saw a year ago are on the horizon.

2. What will Beau Pribula package look like?

In 2023, Penn State talked often about having, and using, a package of plays for backup quarterback Beau Pribula. There was a lot more talk than action, however. We don’t expect that to be the case with Kotelnicki now overseeing things, though. Between his history of being creative and his knack for implementing ways to use two quarterbacks often over four quarters, it feels like a guarantee that the York native will have a bigger role in his third season with the Lions than he did in year two. What that will look like, however, remains to be seen. But it will fascinating to see how the mobile passer is used as both a runner and a thrower.

3. Will Penn State freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer be ready if needed?

It goes without saying that if any college football team needs to use its third-string quarterback in meaningful minutes, something has gone horribly wrong. But it’s also true that, with redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik set to miss significant time due to injury, Penn State would need to turn to a true freshman in that doomsday scenario. Would Ethan Grunkemeyer be ready to answer the call if so? He enrolled early, which is now crucial considering his status as the third-teamer behind Allar and Pribula until Smolik is healthy. The spring was big, but this summer will be even bigger for the Ohio native as he continues to perfect his craft on the field while learning the offense away from it.

The post 3 questions for the Penn State football quarterbacks heading into summer appeared first on On3.