Tag: Beau Pribula

James Franklin continues to say there’s a QB competition at Big Ten Media Day

James Franklin continues to say that there’s at QB competition between Drew Allar and Beau Pribula at Big Ten Media Day

After the graduation of [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], many Penn State fans felt that it would be a simple passing of the torch from the program’s most prolific passer to the five-star prospect [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag].

After all, Allar had seen time during the 2022-23 season even when Clifford was healthy.

Early in the offseason, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] mentioned that there was a quarterback competition between the five-star sophomore and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag]. It seemed liked it was classic “coach speak” where the head coach is looking to motivate position groups throughout the spring and summer.

However, he kept the same tune throughout the lead up to the Blue-White Game. When Allar out performed Pribula during the game, once again, many expected the competition talks to be put to bed.

Franklin kept them alive during Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday.

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“Obviously everybody wants to talk about quarterback. We’re still in a competition phase. Obviously there’s a lot of people talking about Drew [Allar] and what he brings to the table,” Franklin said at Big Ten media day.

Franklin continued by saying, “So I understand why the excitement is there, 6’5″, 242 pounds, can make all the throws, but Beau Pribula is a guy that everybody in the program has a ton of respect for as well. So that’s going to be an interesting competition throughout the entire camp.”

Offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] will be involved in the decision-making as well and is evaluating the play of the quarterbacks.

“We grade everything in every practice, so all the data will be there,” Franklin said. “Obviously, you’re going to trust your gut and your instincts on those things, as well, but you have the data to back it up.”

With the home opener just over five weeks away, there has not been a timetable set on when the decision will be made.

“Obviously, the sooner, the better,” he said. “But we’re not going to rush any of these decisions at any of these positions.”

The quarterback saga continues to roll one into camp, whether Penn State fans like it or not.

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Don’t buy James Franklin’s suggestion of QB battle

You don’t have to believe there is a QB competition at Penn State just because James Franklin says there is.

The hype train has been rolling all offseason for Penn State being a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, and the quarterback position has been just one of the reasons why. With [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] settling in for his sophomore season after being the top backup to the experienced Sean Clifford last season, the expectations are high for Allar as Penn State’s starting quarterback this fall.

I know Drew Allar is going to be Penn State’s starting quarterback this season. So do you. We all know Allar is going to be Penn State’s starting quarterback this season.

Of course, the one person who ultimately confirms that decision is Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag], and he’s standing by the idea there is an actual competition ongoing for the starting job at quarterback between Allar and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag].

“Just to be clear, we’ve had one every year,” Franklin said when asked about the quarterback position at Big Ten football media day in Indianapolis. “Every year.”

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Franklin has always verbally suggested there is competition for every job, even when there is little doubt who will ultimately get the starting nod. This has been Frnaklin’s coaching strategy to promote competition throughout the roster in an attempt to increase the competitive spirit at every spot on the roster.

So whether you believe him or not, Franklin will stand by the idea there is a competition for the starting quarterback job this fall between Allar and Pribula, one he has stood by since the spring. But, Franklin did say the sooner a decision is made, the better off everyone may be.

“I think at any of these positions the sooner the better,” Franklin continued. “It’s probably magnified at the quarterback position because you don’t rotate and play the same type of way that you do at some other positions, but it will be obviously watching how they move the offense, the confidence that their teammates have in them, and then obviously a lot of the data and analytics that go in it as well to make sure that what your gut is telling you aligns with what the numbers say.”

Playing backup to Clifford last season, Allar appeared in 10 games and completed 35-of-60 pass attempts for 344 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Pribula redshirted last season and did not appear in a game. Both quarterbacks saw a good amount of playing time in the Blue-White Game in the spring. Franklin suggested in the spring that he and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich were working on finding ways to have both players contribute, with Pribula likely to be used in ways Allar will not.

But make absolutely no mistake about this. As long as he is healthy, there is no reason not to expect Allar being Penn State’s main and starting quarterback this fall, no matter what Franklin will have to say publicly about it.

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Most interesting quotes from James Franklin at Big Ten Media Day

Check out the most interesting quotes from Coach Franklin during his time at Big Ten Media Day

Big Ten Media Days kicked off Wednesday in Indianapolis, Indiana with every coach from the conference converging in one location. Penn State head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] was one of seven coaches who spoke to the media at the podium on Wednesday about a multitude of things during his allotted timeframe.

Among the topics discussed was the quarterback competition between [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag], the new NIL initiative that he has been pushing for, roster updates and the future of the Big Ten schedule.

The entire transcript of what coach Franklin said can be found here.

Below are the most interesting quotes from his time at Big Ten Media Day.

2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 9 Beau Pribula

It’s clear who Penn State’s starting QB will be in 2023, but how much of the backup QB will we actually see?

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.

We continue this series by taking a look at one of the key players on the offensive side of the football, the expected backup quarterback. [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] is entering his second season with the program as the expected backup to Drew Allar, but Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich spent some time in the spring working on ways to get Pribula involved in the offense doing some things they may not ask of Allar. How much of that we see in the fall remains to be seen, but here is a snapshot look at one of Penn State’s most notable backups for the 2023 offense.

4-star QB has Penn State in his final three schools

Penn State is in the top three for this four-star quarterback target.

Penn State’s 2024 class has been shooting up the national recruiting rankings in recent weeks after a slew of prospects committed to the program. They are ranked 7th in the 247Sports database and 10th in On3’s rankings.

While the quarterback position seems to be in good hands for the upcoming future with former five-star prospect [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] already in the program, that isn’t stopping [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] from trying to add more talent.

[autotag]Michael Van Buren[/autotag] is a four-star quarterback from Maryland who has been one of Penn State’s top targets in the class of 2024. The 6’0″ 185 pound prospect is ranked as the 181st overall player in his class according to On3’s Industry Ranking. ESPN has him as their 18th best player in the 2024 class and the number two overall quarterback prospect.

Recently, Van Buren cut his list of schools down to three on Friday with Penn State included. The other two schools are Maryland and Oregon.

The four-star prospect received just over 30 scholarship offers from different schools before trimming his list down before his senior year of high school. Despite being from the state of Maryland, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Penn State as the overwhelming favorites to land Van Buren. The Nittany Lions are given a 94.6% chance to secure a commitment, while Maryland comes in second with 2.2%.

Van Buren spoke with Hayes Fawcett of On3 about State saying, “I have built a great relationship with the coaches at Penn State, mainly with Coach Franklin, Coach Yurcich, and Coach O’Brian. They make sure to communicate with me often even if it’s not about football just checking up on me and seeing how I’m doing.”

“They’ve shown a lot of love every time I made my way down to Happy Valley and the atmosphere in beaver stadium is insane! Everyone knows about Penn State’s rich tradition and they really put their players in the right position to succeed on and off the field,” he said.

It looks like Penn State is in a good spot to continue adding talent and depth at their quarterback position. Van Buren will reportedly announce his commitment this summer on July 8th.

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QB report card: Who shined in the Blue-White Game?

The report card for Penn State’s quarterbacks in the Blue-White Game are telling.

Penn State came into the Blue-White Game with a quarterback competition according to coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]. While former five-star recruit [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] was expected to be the heir apparent after Sean Clifford graduated, Franklin wasn’t ready to give him the keys to the program without a competition.

While many thought the quarterback competition was just lip service, it was clear that evaluations would be made during the spring game that could impact who would be the 2023-24 starter.

After the performances during the game on Saturday, it looks like their is a clear front runner for who will be the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

Allar finished the scrimmage going 19-30 for 202 yards and one touchdown. [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] went 10-27 for 92 yards, zero touchdown and one interception. Pribula got snaps for both the Blue and White side, while Allar stayed on the Blue team the entire time.

While it’s always difficult to make judgements after a scrimmage, it was clear who the better quarterback was in the game.

With that said, here are is the report card for the two quarterbacks involved in the battle.

Penn State defense shines in Blue-White Game

Penn State’s Blue-White Game is led by the defense and a potential contributing receiver shines.

For all of the attention that Penn State’s big playmakers on offense get, the defense was the real winner of the Blue-White Game on Saturday afternoon in  Beaver Stadium. Penn State’s 15th and final practice of the spring saw plenty of good pressure up front by Penn State’s defensive line and terrific coverage for much of the game from the pass defense, making life difficult for Penn State’s young quarterback combo of [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag].

Penn State’s edge rushers, specifically [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Zane Durant[/autotag], were impressive and the entire defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage for the bulk of the afternoon. Penn State’s offensive line may have some concerns as a result, although it was without one of its biggest players in Olu Fashanu. But it seemed as though the quarterbacks, who were playing for both teams in the spring game, were under constant pressure every time out, especially against the Blue team, which was comprised of mostly projected first-stringers.

While it was a quiet day for the offense, there was one player who seemed to make the most of the afternoon. Wide receiver [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] was the one receiver who seemed to find open spots on the field on a day when doing so seemed to prove difficult. Allar connected with Evans a few times, and Beau Pribula connected with him as well. With competition for a significant role in the receiving department as Penn State looks to find replacements for Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, Evans came away as a spring game-winner.

Evans caught the only touchdown scored in the game, doing so on the second offensive possession led by Drew Allar in the first quarter.

Of course, the spring game is just one part of the offseason process that will ultimately lead to determining what happens in the fall. Head coach James Franklin got some good film to evaluate moving on after spring practices as decisions will have to be made about the roster. While a strong showing in a spring game can sometimes be the weight to tip a scale one way or another, it isn’t necessarily the final straw in any decisions by the coaching staff.

The good news for the Penn State offense is it won’t be facing too many defenses as the one it faced on Saturday once the 2023 season kicks off. There is some work to do, naturally, but there is time to fine-tune what is needed before the season begins.

Penn State will open the 2023 season at home against West Virginia on September 2. It should shape up to be a fun season for the Nittany Lions.

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Blue-White Game: How to watch the Penn State football spring game

How to watch Penn State’s Blue-White spring football game on Saturday

Penn State will bring a close to its spring football practice schedule on Saturday afternoon with the playing of the annual Blue-White spring game in Beaver Stadium. The spring game will return to a more traditional format this year with two teams battling for bragging rights to take into the summer, with a few players playing on both sides.

Coming off a Rose Bowl victory to cap an 11-2 season, the bar is being raised by national pundits for the Nittany Lions in 2023. Many of the featured players that will determine the fate of the season will be on display on Saturday afternoon, although how much paying time they truly see may vary. The competition for pivotal roles in the fall could see some momentum swings and confidence boosts during the spring game, while the focus for many will be on the quarterback situation.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] is assumed to be the successor to Sean Clifford at quarterback, and the spring game won’t be changing that trajectory. But after so much attention was given to the amount of playing time [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] was receiving during practice this spring, it will be interesting to see how Penn State’s other quarterback could be utilized in ways Allar can’t or won’t.

Don’t expect to see Penn State break open the entire playbook during the spring game, but it will be worth paying attention to for one final taste of college football before the fall. Here’s how to watch the game.

Is there a real quarterback competition this spring?

James Franklin continues to suggest there is a real quarterback competition at Penn State this spring.

It’s long been assumed that the next quarterback of the Penn State Nittany Lions will be former five-star quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. When[autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] graduated, Penn State fans were ready for the Allar era to be in full effect.

It seems like [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has some other ideas as of now.

After meeting with the media on Tuesday, it seems like the quarterback competition is as real as it gets between Allar and redshirt freshman [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag].

Pribula does not have the recruiting profile of Allar, the former five-star prospect and third-ranked quarterback in the class of 2022. Pribula was a three-star recruit and the 26th-ranked quarterback in the same class.

The recruiting profiles aren’t stopping Franklin from making this a true competition.

“I think those two guys are both battling, they’re two guys that we are really excited not only for this year, but for their futures,” Franklin told the media Tuesday.

When asked about how long the competition will last he said, “Until it is obvious and has been decided.”

This may remind some fans about the battle between long-time quarterback Clifford and [autotag]Will Levis[/autotag] in 2019. Clifford won the starting role and Levis transferred out of the program to Kentucky in 2021 after 14 career games for Penn State. Now, it seems like Levis might have been the better option, considering he’s expected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Discussing the competition this offseason, Franklin said, “This spring is just to get those guys as many reps as we possibly can to be able to evaluate them, to create a competition and to also create depth.”

“Sometimes, it’s hard to compare and contrast because our one defense is really good and talented. So, who they’re going against is important as well. So, making sure that Drew gets some reps with the twos and Beau gets some reps with the ones and vice versa, those things are important,” Franklin told the media Tuesday.

Ultimately, it would be surprising if Allar is not the quarterback of Penn State for the 2023-24 season considering the reps he got last year. It seems like he’ll have to earn the starting position this offseason because it’s been a battle going into the Blue-White Game on April 15th.

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Where did Penn State rank in ESPN’s quarterback rankings?

ESPN ranked quarterbacks for each team. Here’s where Drew Allar and Penn State rank.

Each year ESPN ranks the future of the quarterback position for each team in college football, and, like most years, Penn State is ranked decently high in the grand scheme.

Last year it was ranked 11th with [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] at the helm backed up by [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag]. With two of those three being elsewhere, it makes sense that Penn State may dip in the rankings and they did just that.

ESPN has the Nittany Lions ranked 15th in this year’s rankings. They discuss the drop coming from the departure of Clifford to the NFL and of Veilleux transferring to in-state rival Pittsburgh. The moves leave Drew Allar as the man to take over, and ESPN gives plenty of praise to him. They mention the expectations surrounding Allar are high; he is the highest-rated quarterback recruit they have had since Christian Hackenberg in 2013.

They also highlight that Allar will be in a familiar environment, stating the  “team has schematic continuity with coordinator Mike Yurcich” and it is that continuity that should help Allar in his first year as a starter.

The biggest flaw outside of the departure of the veteran presence on the depth chart is the people behind Allar. ESPN adds “redshirt freshman [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag] … there’s a lot riding on Allar here, but he has the skill set to take Penn State a long way.”

They aren’t wrong, if something goes sideways in State College with Allar, the Nittany Lions will be in dire straights at the quarterback position. Franklin couldn’t land any veterans within the transfer portal so for better or worse this is the best they can do at quarterback behind Allar.

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