Tag: Drew Allar

247Sports ranks Beau Pribula among nation’s best backup QBs in 2024

If Penn State has to rely on a backup quarterback in 2024, 247Sports thinks Penn State should be in good hands.

It seems one of the most popular player on any football team can be the backup quarterback. When an offense is looking sluggish and in need of a bit of a jolt, the backup quarterback may have the best opportunity to connect much-needed life into any offense. Penn State fans are familiar with that concept over the years with Michael Robinson emerging from a backup role (along with a handful of position changes to get him on the field) and Trace McSorley’s first real chance to show what he can do backing up an injured Christian Hackenberg in the Gator Bowl against Georgia with a furious fourth-quarter rally (before ultimately falling a bit short).

Entering the 2024 season, Penn State looks to have one of the best backup options available with [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag], who will be the top backup to incumbent and projected starter [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. What makes Pribula so valuable to the Penn State offense is his ability to do some things on the field Allar is not expected or capable of pulling off, like using his legs to generate some speed and mix things up on the ground. Even with a new offensive coordinator coming in with Andy Kotelnicki, fans should expect to see a decent amount of Pribula involved in the offense even with Allar taking the majority of the snaps at quarterback.

247Sports thinks highly of Pribula going into the new college football season. In a ranking of the top 10 backup quarterbacks in the country, 247Sports ranked Pribula at no. 6 on its list.

“The Nittany Lions are confident Pribula will be difference-maker this season as a run-threat after rushing for six touchdowns and 329 yards last fall,” 247Sports noted. “Pribula gives the Nittany Lions a wrinkle in short-yardage situations and can protect Allar when the tough yards are needed.”

Most fans would probably love to see the running game, fueled by Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, take care of the short-yardage situations with authority, but it should not be unexpected that Pribula will be used at times to keep the defense guessing.

The biggest question remains just how Kotelnicki will utilize Pribula, and if that will involve Allar coming off the field or keeping both on the field at the same time.

According to the 247Sports backup QB rankings, Pribula is the fourth-best backup option in the Big Ten. Oregon‘s Dante Moore is at the top of the Big Ten list as he backs up Dillon Gabriel in Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten. Ohio State‘s Julian Sayin, expected to back either Will Howard or Devin Brown, is the no. 3 backup QB on the list. USC‘s Jayden Maiva is next on the list at no. 4. Maiava is projected to be the top backup to Miller Moss as the Trojans enter the Big Ten.

You can view the full top 10 backup quarterbacks in 2024 according to 247Sports.

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Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert Smith officially enters transfer portal

Penn State’s leading WR from a year ago officially enters the portal after being away from the team.

If it was not already apparent after Saturday’s Blue-White Game, Penn State will be looking for another receiver in the transfer portal after its leading receiver from a year ago, [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], officially entered the portal. After reports came out Monday afternoon, Lambert-Smith announced his exit on Instagram. He will have one season of eligibility left.

“I want to thank Penn State for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream of playing college football at the highest level, while also being able to earn my degree,” Lambert-Smith said in a message on his Instagram account. “With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal as a grad transfer. Everyone has their own book. This is just the next chapter in mine.”

Late last week, reports said that Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was away from the team and considering entering the portal. After he was nowhere to be seen at Beaver Stadium on Saturday during the spring game, all signs pointed to his exit.

Lambert-Smith led the Nittany Lions with 53 catches and 673 yards last year. After a big game against West Virginia in the 2023 season opener, he never eclipsed the 100-yard mark again. He seemed to rarely be on the same page with starting quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag].

He will leave Penn State ranked in the program’s top 20 for career receptions and receiving yards and the only player to record multiple 80-yard receptions.

Penn State’s passing offense was not good last season and lacked explosiveness. Lambert-Smith was supposed to take the top off the defense, so replacing his ability to stretch the field should be a massive priority for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff during this open period of the portal.

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Matt Zollers picks Missouri over Penn State

Penn State surprisingly missed out on the top in-state QB in the Class of 2025.

Arguably the most important commitment for the Penn State Nittany Lions in the class of 2025 was going to be announced on April 4 as they waited to hear where top in-state quarterback [autotag]Matt Zollers[/autotag] had decided to play his college football. With [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his offensive staff looking to bring in two quarterbacks during this cycle, they were hoping to land the rising four-star recruit who is ranked as one of the top players in Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately for Penn State, he committed to Missouri.

After looking like the leaders in the clubhouse for a long time during his process, Zollers’ recruitment took a national turn as the likes of Georgia, Missouri, and Alabama were part of his final five schools.

“My connections at Missouri were just greater than they were anywhere else. This was a really tough decision for me to make. I ultimately decided this morning,” the talented quarterback told Chad Simmons of On3.

That statement is an eye opener for people who have been following this recruitment process considering he had taken around eight visits to Happy Valley and roughly three to Missouri.

The Tigers really popped onto his radar and made a late push to land him as one of the headliners of their class.

Penn State’s bottleneck at the position could have had something to do with his decision as well.

Incumbent starter [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] could come back for another season after this year, [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] is still a factor alongside [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag], plus highly-rated [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] from the 2024 class is entering his freshman season.

Still, this is a tough one to swallow for Penn State fans as they lose out on the top-rated recruit in the state of Pennsylvania and someone who was at the top of their board.

Julian Fleming emerging as important player for Penn State

It sure sounds as if Julian Fleming is fitting right in with his new Penn State teammates.

Penn State missed out on [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] when he was a highly-touted recruit out of Pennsylvania. The five-star ultimately chose Ohio State after a long, drawn out process that left many fans with a sour taste in their mouths.

However, as a graduate transfer, Fleming decided to come back home and become a member of the Nittany Lions for his final year of college football.

With there being a clear need for upgrades in the wide receiver room heading into the 2024-25 season, this was met with a lot of excitement considering he can immediately have an impact.

Early reviews coming out of spring camp have been great.

“The guys love him. He’s been awesome as a teammate. He’s been really coachable. I think he has been able to kind of move on, we’ve moved on. There’s been no talk about the past. He just been really good,” [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] said according to Tyler Donohue of 247Sports.

There was some uneasiness going into the second recruitment of Fleming based on what had transpired previously, but Franklin decided to personally reach out when the former coveted wide receiver entered his name into the portal.

Fleming talked about how both sides have grown and there was no issue building relationships the second time around.

As a fifth-year senior, he’ll be expected to have a leadership role within the locker room, something that the current players are noting he’s already starting to do.

“I’ve been nothing but impressed with Julian. He handles everything the right way and approaches everything like a pro … And he’s also bringing the young guys along. I think he’s a great mentor for all them,” [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] said back in February.

That’s a positive sign coming from the other position that the receiver will be working closely with.

But Allar isn’t the only one who Fleming has impressed so far.

“He’ll make a great impact and (be) a great leader. I think he could be a great leader for us. Like he does everything right. … Just the way he approaches practice, anything he does, it’s always the same. You never see him down bad. He’s always got good posture,” [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] added.

While Fleming will ultimately be judged by what he accomplishes on the field, his impact could be felt more than just the dozen or so games played on Saturdays.

The early reviews are a great sign that this new marriage is going to work for the upcoming season, and his presence could help the Nittany Lions develop their young receivers into becoming top-level performers as well.

James Franklin on how Andy Kotelnicki will help Drew Allar in 2024

James Franklin says Andy Kotelnicki will have a few ways to help take the pressure off Drew Allar in 2024.

After a frustrating season with the offense in 2023, Penn State is hoping for much more positive and explosive results in 2024. Penn State hired one of the top offensive coordinators in the country this offseason with the addition of [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] from Kansas, and the transfer portal has likely helped add some potential to improve the passing game with the addition of [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] from Ohio State. But head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] knows all of these changes will only help out if Kotelnicki and quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], who is heading into his second season as the starting quarterback, get on the same page as early as possible.

Kotelnicki and Allar are getting more of a feel for each other this spring as football practices continue on and lead up to next month’s spring game, the Blue-White Game, but Franklin knows there will be a lot that goe sinto helping Allar take his game to the next level. And he belives Kotelnicki will use a number of things to help take the pressure off of Allar and improve his game this fall.

“I think some of the things that we can do to compliment the run game in the play action pass to create explosive plays to open really the field up and make them defend the whole 120 yards and the whole 53 and one-third, I think is really important, and I think the play-action pass will be a big part of that with Drew, with Andy, with our offense in general,” Franklin said in a recent press conference.

“The other thing is, I think some things that you can do that we did later in the season,” Franklin added. “I think the last two games, if you look at our explosive play percentage, it dramatically increased. I think there’s some things that you can do with the wide receivers in terms of motion, in terms of alignment, like stacks and bunches and things like that, that we can do to help our guys versus man coverage. I think that’s going to be really, really important for us as well.”

Penn State was lacking in explosive plays last season but the return of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and the addition of Fleming could help change that a bit this fall. Opposing defenses were rarely threatened by Penn State’s wide receivers, so the hope will be that Kotelnicki finds ways to get the ball to Allar’s targets quicker so they can do some damage.

Quotes provided by Penn State athletics.

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Penn State promotes Danny O’Brien to QB coach

Penn State has promoted a grad assistant to be the new QB coach in 2024

Penn State head coach James Franklin has promoted graduate assistant [autotag]Danny O’Brien[/autotag] to a new role on the coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season. O’Brien will now be labeled as the quarterback coach for the Nittany Lions.

O’Brien will take over the role that was previously held by former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Yurcich was removed as offensive coordinator late in the 2023 season, and O’Brien helped fill the void on the staff with the quarterbacks immediately. Now, with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki taking over the offensive coordinator role, O’Brien will help coach [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and the Penn State quarterbacks adjust to a new offensive system this spring.

O’Brien will continue to be a graduate assistant on the football staff. O’Brien joined the Penn State program as an offensive analyst in 2021 and filled that role for two seasons before taking on the role as a graduate assistant coach working with the offense last season.

O’Brien and Franklin go back to when O’Brien was playing quarterback for Maryland. Franklin was Maryland’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach when O’Brien came into the program. O’Brien was the ACC Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-American. O’Brien transferred to Wisconsin in 2012, a year after Franklin left Maryland to become a head coach at Vanderbilt and after having a slight sophomore slump for the Terrapins in 2011. Penn State was among the schools vying to bring O’Brien to the program once he decided to leave Maryland, with former head coach Bill O’Brien welcoming the transfer quarterback to spring practices.

Along with Kotelnicki, O’Brien will hope to elevate Allar to the next level in 2024. Allar is coming off his first full season as the starting quarterback. He had some ups and downs all year long and ended the season with 2,631 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions. But Allar’s effectiveness in Penn State’s biggest games was highly, and justifiably scrutinized. Allar passed for just 70 yards in a loss to Michigan, completed 18-of-42 pass attempts in a loss at Ohio State, and 19-of-39 attempts in a Peach Bowl loss to Ole Miss.

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Five Nittany Lions who deserve to be on the cover of EA Sports’ College Football 25

Five Penn State players that deserve to be on the cover of EA Sports’ College Football 25

Social media exploded on Thursday morning as EA Sports dropped a teaser video for College Football 25, and Penn State fans shared the excitement of the entire college football community. Due to naming rights and licensing with the players, EA Sports has been unable to release a new installment of the game since 2013. But with the world of NIL at an all-time high, those difficulties are no more, and the game will be back this summer just in time for the new college football season.

If you watch closely during the teaser, Penn State is one of only a few schools to be shown throughout the trailer, along with Oklahoma, Florida, Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan, Texas A&M, Florida State, and Georgia. This may not mean much, but this does all but guarantee that Penn State will be included in the game’s newest edition.

In the 11 years since the previous game, the Nittany Lions have had some dominant collegiate players who never got to see themselves in a video game unless they made it to the NFL. Several Nittany Lions delivered video game cover-worthy performances, so there is no shortage of options if EA Sports decides to put a Penn State player on the cover.

With three consensus All-Americans, four first-round NFL draft picks, six New Year’s Six bowl appearances, and five 10-plus win seasons since the release of the last NCAA Football game, Penn State fans will for sure have many players that come to mind when discussing the next cover athlete.

Penn State’s ability to consistently win double-digit wins makes Penn State one of the best programs to build from if they choose to play dynasty/franchise mode, but as the much-anticipated game’s release draws closer, here are five Nittany Lions who deserve a shot at being on the cover.

Top 20 Big Ten conference games in 2024

The Top 20 Big Ten conference games for the 2024 season

We are all in for a treat when the Big Ten football season kicks off this September with four former Pac-12 schools joining the conference. UCLA and USC were announced as future members in the summer of 2022, while Washington and Oregon joined at the beginning of August.

With the extinction of the Pac-12 all but complete, Big Ten’s new look might be in for its most exciting season yet. This past year, Oregon and Washington, and to some extent USC, were some of the country’s top offenses. Contrary to the typical Big Ten conference game with low scores and gritty defense, the four newcomers were known for scoring touchdowns up and down the field.

The differences in styles will be fascinating to watch this year and to see how the new or old Big Ten teams adapt to unfamiliar opponents. How many Big Ten fans are looking forward to seeing an anemic Iowa offense go up against Lincoln Riley’s USC or Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks? We’ll have to wait for those exact matchups, but maybe Kirk Ferentz will slow down the Washington Huskies and introduce them to typical Big Ten football. Those new matchups will now be a regular fixture come the fall.

Undoubtedly, the Big Ten is about to be a lot stronger. There are no more divisions, just the two top teams going head-to-head for the conference title in December. Can it still be the Ohio State, Michigan show, or will the West Coast teams enter the fray with a vengeance? Only time will tell, but one thing is sure: going 9-0 in conference play will be next to impossible.

Let’s take a look at the top 20 Big Ten conference matchups this season, and there are quite a few exciting ones.

Theo Johnson showing his smoothness during Senior Bowl week

Theo Johnson showing off his smooth route running at this week’s Senior Bowl

If you watched any Penn State games this past season, you know that the Nittany Lions threw to the tight ends a ton. Sixteen of quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar’s[/autotag] touchdown passes were thrown to tight ends, the most in the nation during the 2023 season. [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag], the leader of the group, along with [autotag]Tyler Warren,[/autotag] caught seven apiece and were huge safety vales for their quarterback.

This week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, Johnson showed his smooth route, running over the middle and his elite hands. Johnson’s best trait, perhaps, is his size. At 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, he has a tremendous catch radius and footwork like a wide receiver.

Just take a look at this route and catch from Michael Penix Jr. pass:

Johnson’s 2023 season in State College, where he caught seven receiving touchdowns, was tied for third in a single season among Penn State’s tight ends. The coaches and media also voted him an All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree.

Although not a complete vertical threat, Johnson’s hands and catching ability should lead to yards after catch at the next level. For someone who is that big, his route running and size can be a huge matchup mismatch for NFL teams looking for an over-the-middle threat.

Other than Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders, the rest of the 2024 tight-end class is up for grabs. With Johnson’s impressive week in Mobile, he could be looking at being the third or fourth tight end drafted. His biggest negative is his lack of blocking prowess and ability to hold up against superior NFL defensive linemen.

Before this week, many draft prognosticators viewed Johnson as a Day 3 pick, most likely somewhere in the fourth round. His performances have definitely improved his draft stock, and if that continues into the game on Saturday, Johnson could be looking at himself as a solid third-round selection.

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Penn State Class of 2024 profile: WR Tyseer Denmark

Recruiting profile on one of Penn State’s Class of 2024 wide reciever commits, Tyseer Denmark.

A wide receiver who hails from the same high school as Marvin Harrison Sr.? Sign me up!

Another top recruit in Pennsylvania is staying at home in State College and was initially committed to Oregon. Philadelphia native [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag] is one of three receivers in Penn State’s Class of 2024 and the second-ranked receiver in the state.

Denmark is a Roman Catholic High School product before transferring to Imhotep Institute for his senior season. At only 5-foot-11, Denmark projects as a slot receiver rather than an outside threat, but his skill set could be super beneficial as a safety valve for [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag].

Here’s a look at Penn State signee Tyseer Denmark.