‘Surreal moment for me.’ Drew Allar set for Rose Bowl, likely his last time as backup QB

Drew Allar did not get the second half of his senior year of high school. He did not get one final prom, or a “traditional” high school experience. Instead of doing those things that usually come from January to May of a senior year, he was getting a head start. The Nittany Lion quarterback was training and preparing after enrolling early at Penn State in January 2022.

That, to him, is one of the many reasons he found success this season.

“I’m definitely glad I enrolled early,” Allar said. “I think that was a huge, huge step for me personally and I know all the other early enrollees could say the same thing. Just from a developmental standpoint, being able to get into Penn State early and get acclimated into classes and also to winter workouts and spring ball.”

Now, almost a year after enrolling, Allar is 60 minutes of football away from going from quarterback of the future to quarterback of the present as the starter for Penn State.

The freshman will once again back up starting quarterback Sean Clifford in the Rose Bowl on Monday, but after that will be the presumed starter for the 2023 season and the new face of the program.

For at least the next few days, Allar isn’t thinking about everything that comes with that.

“I’m not really looking forward to next season because we’ve still got a huge challenge in front of us with Utah,” he said. “And this is a great experience, just being in the Rose Bowl. I’ve dreamed of playing in the Rose Bowl since I was a kid. It’s really a surreal moment for me and I’m looking forward to this next step and I’m not really looking too much into the future yet.”

Going through growth process with Mike Yurcich

The freshman quarterback will likely earn the starting job based on his talent and how he’s already produced in his limited opportunities on the field.

Allar threw passes in nine games this season, completing 35 of his 59 attempts for 344 yards and four touchdowns, but flashing the potential to be a special quarterback every time he touched the field. He said things really turned the corner during training camp, when he started to put it all together and credited his time in the spring with the team as the reason for his success later on.

Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich helped foster that development and said part of why Allar progressed as the season did was because of his understanding of what he was doing.

“I think a lot of times when you’re a quarterback, or any young player, I think there’s certain things that maybe you don’t quite understand, and you’re not really sure that you don’t really understand it,” Yurcich said. “I think now with a lot of experience, there becomes a process of awareness and how much there is to it from everything around the quarterback play.”

It can help to have a coordinator like Yurcich at the helm. He’s coached quarterbacks that would go on to play in the NFL like Mason Rudolph and Justin Fields, and those that found the highest levels of success at their level like Zach Zulli at Shippensburg, who won the Harlon Hill Trophy — the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy.

The Penn State offensive coordinator understands what it takes to mold a successful quarterback, but also understands what it takes to help someone understand what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. That’s part of the process for Yurcich, who focuses on making sure his quarterbacks are processing what they need to.

“On each play, we really focus on two things,” Yurcich said. “Making sure your eyes are right. ... So you try to discipline with their eyes and making sure that they’re seeing exactly what they need to see on every particular concept. ... And on top of that you’ve got to have your feet right. There’s a lot that goes into it. Quarterback is a position that, it’s really a reflection of your overall offense.”

What will the Allar era hold?

Next season Allar will be that reflection, not just of the offense, but of Yurcich. In many ways, those two will dictate what comes next for Penn State football. The program is nearing a takeoff point, where they can go from a consistent top-10 team to a national title contender.

That can put a lot of pressure on a young signal caller like Allar, who admitted being vocal isn’t necessarily his style. He knows that won’t be able to last.

“I’m more of a lead by example type of guy,” he said. “But there has to come a point in time where I have to be the vocal leader of the team. I’m just learning from Sean and Ji’Ayir (Brown) and all of the captains, PJ (Mustipher). They’re great leaders for this team. ... I think just being around those guys really helped me.”

Maybe that will change in the spring, or maybe it will take in the summer, but that time is coming.

His time as the face of the program is coming.

Allar sat with poise speaking to the media Saturday morning for the first time as a Nittany Lion, just a few hundred yards from the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Where he will begin the game on the sidelines — if all things go right — for the final time.