Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is one of the youngest quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft QB class, but is he ready to make the leap? His scouting report has all of the details.
Allar’s profile is underpinned by a truly elite confluence of physical tools. The only question for Allar is whether or not he can build on that foundation and channel it with more control.
Drew Allar’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 241 pounds
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Penn State
- Current Year: Junior
Allar’s talent alone is a separator, and it’s always been that way for him. At Medina High School in Ohio, he became his varsity team’s starting quarterback as a mere sophomore. By the end of his senior season, he was named Mr. Football of Ohio.
In his final HS campaign, Allar threw for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He also ran for 406 yards and nine scores. As recruiting outlets caught up to Allar’s film and rated him as high as five stars, teams like Penn State also took notice.
Allar had offers from virtually every blue-blood program in the Midwest — including Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame — but at Penn State, Allar had an opportunity to play early. He also had the chance to play under an experienced coach in James Franklin.
Allar was able to get his feet wet in 2022 in relief of Sean Clifford. And when Clifford graduated, Allar took the reins in 2023 and had a very productive first season as the full-time starter.
While the Nittany Lions went 10-3 under his watch, Allar completed 233 of 389 attempts (59.9%) for 2,631 yards, 25 TDs, and just two INTs — joining Hendon Hooker as one of just two FBS QBs in history to throw for at least 25 TDs and two or fewer INTs in a season.
Granted, in 2023, Allar’s TD-to-INT ratio painted a disproportionate picture of the offense’s effectiveness. But it was a good start for a young QB, and Allar has only compounded that momentum thus far in the 2024 campaign.
As of this update, Allar has completed 41 of 58 pass attempts (70.7%) for 729 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one pick — and he’s also logged 77 yards and two scores on the ground. The arrival of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has helped, but Allar has also grown on his own.
Big Ten play down the stretch will fully challenge Allar and his growth as a 2025 NFL Draft prospect. But already, he’s given evaluators plenty of reason to be excited. The hope is that, should he continue on this trajectory, he can join the Round 1 ranks.
Allar’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Superlative size threat at QB with a sturdy, prototypical QB frame.
- Possesses quantifiably elite arm strength and can drive velocity to all levels of the field.
- Has the rare arm elasticity to adjust throwing angles while keeping pace off-platform.
- Boasts good size-adjusted athleticism and has enough speed to get out in space.
- Brings a quick, loose, and crisp release and can add pace with a flick of his wrist.
- Has impressive command at the line, calling out blitz threats and using a hard count.
- Flashes a good mechanical feel out of exchanges, loading his hips with level shoulders.
- Has shown he can anticipate route breaks in 1-on-1 looks and place to WR leverage.
- Can anticipate sit routes against zone coverage and hit WRs with precise timing.
- Shows glimpses of high-to-low progression work and can check down under pressure.
- Has the patience and poise to step up and wait for the availability of middle-field routes.
- Has good discretion and won’t often force ill-advised throws when there’s no separation.
- Able to sense backside pressure, step up, and escape into the flats with his mobility.
- Has the wherewithal to throw the ball away when no options are available.
- Thus far in 2024, has seemingly improved his accuracy and is learning to use touch.
Weaknesses
- Tall frame and slight hip stiffness limit his creation capacity on the lateral plane.
- Isn’t overly quick or malleable and doesn’t add a dynamic element as a rushing threat.
- At times, can be slow and lumbering with footwork off the snap and out of exchanges.
- Frenetic footwork against pressure can tip front shoulder up and cause high misses.
- Sometimes widens his base too far on his dropback, which can force readjustment.
- Can be more disciplined with drift on his dropback, as he sometimes veers into pressure.
- Can be quicker to settle and trigger on option targets early in progressions.
- At times, intermediate and deep field vision and recognition can be more consistent.
- Sometimes puts too much on short passes and drives the ball out of his WR’s reach.
- Still learning how to rein in his arm strength and add touch on bucket throws.
- Accuracy remains a concern at times, requiring greater control with arm talent.
- Sometimes fails to adequately channel hip rotation on touch passes to the deep third.
- On occasion, will attempt dangerous throws across his body in off-script situations.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Allar grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect, who could eventually solidify his standing in the early rounds. He’s still just 20 years old and has the natural talent to vault into the Round 1 conversation with a strong 2024 campaign. Big Ten play will be the true battleground.
At 6’5″, 241 pounds, Allar — a one-time five-star recruit — has quantifiably elite composite arm talent, with both arm strength and elasticity above the 90th percentile. He’s a good athlete for his size, but the majority of his appeal comes from his passing upside.
With his composite arm talent, Allar can deliver with pace from many platforms — which, at his size, is an incredible quality to have. Beyond that raw talent, he flashes anticipatory tendencies as a passer, has a good natural mechanical feel, and has impressive command at the line for his age.
For Allar, execution and overall accuracy are two areas where he stands to improve in 2024. His process with dropback footwork and pressure resistance can still be more consistent. And while his mechanics are solid, his footwork can lead to shoulder instability, and he’s also still learning how to properly channel touch and pace on certain throws.
Having said all this, there’s reason to be optimistic about Allar’s projection — especially after Penn State’s change at offensive coordinator. Allar shows glimpses of promise as a field general, game manager, processor, and pocket navigator, and he has the elite raw talent to elevate a team.