Drew Allar Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Luke Hales/Getty Images)
School: Penn State
Class: Senior
Position: QB
HT: 6’5
WT: 235 lbs
Background: Drew Allar was the top quarterback prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He was a top 5 recruit nationally and had the attention of just about every program in the nation. Drew’s dad, Kevin, was a tight end for Eastern Michigan. Allar attended Medina High School, where he won state Player of the Year with multiple outlets. He participated in the Adidas All-American Bowl and the Elite 11 QB competition. Allar put up godly numbers as a senior as he through for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns. Allar chose to play for James Franklin at Penn State over Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan.
College: Allar was the primary backup as a true freshman, appearing in 10 games and impressing in his limited exposure. He took over the starting role for the Nittany Lions as a sophomore in 2023. Allar passed for 2,631 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. These numbers were good enough to earn Drew All-Big 10 honorable mention. Allar was named conference honorable mention again in 2024 after posting 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 2025 was a disaster for Allar. Coming into the season as a projected top 5 pick, Allar’s season crumbled underneath him. Allar played in 6 games, the last 3 of which were losses (resulting in the firing of James Franklin) and he suffered a season-ending injury in the loss against Northwestern.
Strengths: Drew Allar has the prototypical frame that is necessary out of a successful NFL QB. He has a high compete level that is put on display in big games. His want and will to win is never in question. Allar has done well over his career with Penn State to minimize turnovers. He takes what the defense gives him and does not force the ball into high danger areas. Allar is one of the few new age quarterbacks who can command the offense pre-snap to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. He has worked well out of structure in Penn State’s offense, extending plays to make something out of nothing. His arm strength is his most impressive trait. He can sling the ball on a rope to the deep areas of the field with ease.
Weaknesses: Allar has poor mechanics. Yes, his mechanics and throwing motion are poor out of structure, but in the pocket, he doesn’t have the desirable motion either. For how big he is, he doesn’t set a solid base, standing too upright in the pocket. When working through his progressions, he tends to lock on to that first read far too often. He takes those checkdowns even when something has developed further down the field because he doesn’t scan the entire field. The mental errors start to appear when Allar feels pressure, he abandons the pocket quickly and often just tries to dump the football off and throw it away rather than finding some yards.
Conclusion: Drew Allar is the perfect frame for an NFL QB. Unfortunately, he never really put it all together in State College. The mental side of his game was way behind his physical strengths. Perhaps some NFL coaching and a scheme that works for Allar will bring out the best in him. As for now, his mental struggles have been far too much to overcome.
Best Team Fits: SEA, NE, JAX
Player Comparison: Joe Milton
Player Grade: Round 6 (48.7)
