Penn State quarterback Drew Allar’s 2025 season has officially come to a heartbreaking end. The junior signal-caller was carted off the field late in Saturday’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern after taking a brutal hit to the leg.
Head coach James Franklin confirmed afterward that Allar will miss the remainder of the season. The injury leaves the Penn State football team, already reeling from a three-game losing streak, scrambling to find answers under center.
Through six games, Allar completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,100 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. His numbers tell the story of a quarterback with immense potential, but one mired in inconsistency. That inconsistency has only amplified criticism of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, whose system has drawn increasing scrutiny from both inside and outside the program.
According to ESPN, Kotelnicki’s creative, motion-heavy offense, once hailed for its success at Kansas, never meshed with Penn State football team’s personnel or Allar’s skill set. A failed fourth-and-2 play call in the loss to UCLA earlier this season, where Allar was stuffed on an end-around read, became symbolic of the disconnect.
“He tries to do a lot of stuff with movement and motions, but it just didn’t play well,” one opposing coach told ESPN. “With the running backs and receivers they have, you’d think they’d get more production. Instead, Drew regressed.”
Sources told The New York Times that Allar’s regression wasn’t just schematic — it was psychological. “It wasn’t fair to the kids,” one person close to the team said. “You lose confidence when you’re constantly afraid of making mistakes.”
That tentativeness was evident in Allar’s play, as he often appeared hesitant to take risks, despite possessing one of the strongest arms in college football.
The numbers back that up: after finishing 16th nationally in QBR (77.5) last year, Allar fell to 91st in 2025, averaging just 6.9 yards per attempt and ranking near the bottom among Power 4 quarterbacks in accuracy. NFL scouts told ESPN they noticed the decline, with one saying, “They acted like they didn’t trust him — and maybe they didn’t.”
Now, instead of leading Penn State’s rebound, Allar joins a long list of talented Nittany Lion quarterbacks who never reached their potential under Franklin, a list that includes Christian Hackenberg, whose career trajectory Allar’s has begun to mirror. Drew Allar's injury also generated a lot of commotion, and expectations and hopes are that it won't further affect his career.
The program’s once-promising season now rests in the hands of freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer, while fans and analysts are left wondering whether Penn State’s offensive identity and quarterback development need a complete reset.
