Penn State’s Drew Allar quietly playing like one of nation’s top quarterbacks [opinion]

The silence about Drew Allar this year is deafening.

No one’s criticizing him for having a low completion percentage or throwing poorly in losses to Ohio State and Michigan like they did last year.

No one’s wondering if he’ll ever live up to his five-star billing.

In fact, few people are talking about Allar at all.

Maybe they should be.

If coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is the offense’s composer, then Allar is its conductor. He’s the guy who knows who’s on the field, where they should be and what they should do.

He rarely looks flustered. He’s always in charge.

“I think Drew looks consistently comfortable and in control in the games,” Penn State football coach James Franklin said.

Allar’s playing quarterback as well as anyone in the Big Ten and maybe in the country, even if few people outside Pennsylvania are noticing.

He ranks fifth nationally in pass efficiency and completion percentage (.719) and third in the underappreciated category of yards per passing attempt (9.75).

While Tyler Warren has been such a unique, versatile and mighty weapon in the offense, Allar has been the rock.

“In a two-year span, I bet you his numbers are as good as anybody in our history,” Franklin said.

Allar has thrown 41 touchdown passes against seven interceptions, a remarkable ratio. He’s on track to be the most efficient passer in school history. His record as a starter is 19-4.

“I think there are a lot of programs across the country that would love to have Drew playing quarterback for them,” Franklin said. “There aren’t a lot of plays you can find on tape where you question his decision-making or his accuracy.

“Some guys come up with no interceptions, but there are two or three throws when they are fortunate. You don’t see that with him.”

Saturday at Purdue, Allar was 17-for-19 for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Penn State’s 49-10 romp. One incompletion was dropped and one was a throwaway. He was otherwise perfect.

He also carried four times for 22 yards, including a 14-yard scramble on which he broke three or four tackles. His improved physical shape has allowed him to be more mobile in the pocket and is one of the reasons why the Nittany Lions have allowed just nine sacks in 10 games, tied for sixth nationally.

“His ability to extend plays this year compared to last year and to break tackles, I think it’s been meaningful for him and for us,” Franklin said. “He’s playing really good football.”

Last month in Los Angeles, Allar threw three of his five interceptions against USC. But he was at his best when his best was needed. He completed two fourth-down passes on a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter of Penn State’s 33-30 overtime win.

The left knee injury he suffered against Wisconsin might have affected him the next week in a loss to Ohio State, but Allar would never say. He’s been superb the last two weeks against Washington and Purdue, going 37-for-47 for 467 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover.

“He’s been good,” Warren said. “He continues to get better and manage games really well.”

The Lions need Allar’s consistency if they are going to make the College Football Playoff and make a run at the national title.

“He’s the same guy,” Franklin said. “That’s one of the things I love about him. His process doesn’t change. He works as hard as any quarterback I’ve been around. He’s in the building all the time.

“He is extremely hungry and he is extremely driven. He wants to win for Penn State. He wants to win for the guys in the locker room, the fans and the lettermen. Obviously he wants to do it for his family and himself, but he wants to be successful for everybody else.”

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