Drew Allar and the Penn State passing offense have been fairly up-and-down in 2023, but Allar was red-hot in Week 10 against the Maryland Terrapins. What did Allar show in this game, and could it be a premonition of his 2025 NFL Draft journey?
Drew Allar Dices Up Maryland’s Secondary With Four Touchdowns
Allar’s first season as Penn State’s starting quarterback has gone well enough.
Heading into the team’s Week 10 clash with the Terrapins, Allar had completed 156 of 254 (61.4%) attempts for 1,655 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just one interception. His interception rate of less than 0.5% is one of the best in the nation with that kind of volume.
Just as Allar has avoided turnover-worthy plays, however, the true sophomore has also missed some throws in high-pressure moments, and he’s very clearly still a young quarterback, learning both in the mental and mechanical realms.
But against Maryland in Week 10, Allar was immaculate, and it felt like a major milestone in him taking the next step as both a collegiate QB and an eventual NFL Draft prospect.
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Allar completed 24 of 32 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns against the Terrapins, including an anticipatory tight-window laser through triple coverage and a perfectly lofted seed to extend the lead to 31-7 in the fourth quarter.
In Week 10, we saw the wicked arm talent and velocity that the 6’5″, 242-pound Allar possesses. But beyond that, he was decisive in the pocket, he was seeing the field well, and he was adjusting his situational trajectory for every throw while also layering pace and touch on his passes.
None of this is to say that Allar was bad by any stretch in Weeks 1 through 9. But in some games — especially against Ohio State — the pressure got to him, and his process eroded. Against Maryland, he was lights out, and he looked more mature.
Allar was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, so he’s always had the requisite talent to field super-early Round 1 talk. But it’s never felt more fitting to project Allar as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft than it is now, after arguably his best outing of the 2023 season.
Now, the question will be whether or not Allar can keep the momentum flowing against an NFL talent-laden Michigan defense next week. If he can, he’ll assuredly be a popular pick as the No. 1 overall selection in way-too-early 2025 NFL Draft mocks.