Penn State’s football team leadership has been emotional and unequivocal about Drew Allar in the wake of his season-ending injury. After the 22-21 loss to Northwestern, athletic director Pat Kraft fought back tears, describing the junior quarterback as “one hell of a young man,” underscoring how much Allar meant to the locker room and the university even as the season unraveled.
Smith said injured Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has been around the program and is “very, very present.” Allar stopped in to see him this morning, per 247Sports’ Daniel Gallen on X.
That presence matters in a week defined by change. Allar’s injury scene, a cart ride from the sideline to the tunnel late against Northwestern, preceded a 22-21 defeat and James Franklin’s firing the next day, a jolt for a program long built on stability.
A national coaching search is now underway, and a new starting quarterback will take snaps next fall. Within the building, though, coaches and players have spent the bye reflecting on Allar’s four years and the impact he leaves behind.
Penn State staffers voiced how the discourse around college football often blurs the human toll. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki lamented that people treat the sport like a reality show, noting Allar’s effort and how hard it was to see his career end via injury, as noticed by 247Sports.
The resume is substantial: in 2025, Allar completed 103 of 159 passes (64.8%) for 1,100 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, adding 172 rushing yards and a score. Across his career, he went 633-of-1,002 for 7,402 yards, 61 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, helping Penn State come within a drive of the national title game last season before a late Orange Bowl interception against Notre Dame.
The numbers tell only part of it. Coaches and administrators praised Allar’s commitment amid outside noise and a turbulent autumn. Kraft, again, pushed back at any suggestion of wavering loyalty, emphasizing how much unseen work Allar poured into Penn State.
Allar underwent surgery on his broken left ankle and is on track for a full recovery in the coming months, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
His 2025 season ended after six games, but the expectation is that he’ll begin ramping up workouts down the line as he transitions to the next stage of his career while Penn State moves forward with interim leadership.
