It was supposed to be the year. You know the feeling. The one where everything finally clicks, the five-star pedigree meets the masterclass play-calling, and Penn State actually climbs that mountain.
But football is rarely that kind of story.
The penn state qb 2025 season didn't end with confetti in Indianapolis. It ended on a cold October afternoon in Evanston with a medical cart and a lot of "what ifs." Honestly, looking back at the 2025 campaign, it's pretty clear that our collective expectations for Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions were both completely fair and wildly unrealistic at the same time.
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The Drew Allar Paradox: 2025 by the Numbers
When Allar announced he was coming back for his senior year, Happy Valley basically threw a parade. He had the size. 6-foot-5. 240 pounds. A cannon for an arm that scouts claimed was worth $100 million.
Early on, it looked like the hype was real. Under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, the offense was weird in the best way. We saw Allar throwing out of sets with three tight ends one play and then sprinting for 15 yards on a designed draw the next. By the time the Northwestern game rolled around on October 11, Allar had 1,100 passing yards and eight touchdowns against just three picks. He was completing nearly 65% of his passes.
Then came the snap.
A season-ending ankle injury against the Wildcats didn't just end Allar’s college career; it blew a hole in the entire penn state qb 2025 depth chart. Suddenly, the "deepest room in the country" felt incredibly thin.
Why the 2025 Season Felt Different
For years, Penn State fans complained about "playing it safe." 2025 was the opposite. Kotelnicki’s "spoke in the wheel" philosophy meant the quarterback wasn't just a facilitator; he was a weapon.
You’ve gotta remember that before the injury, Allar was actually leading the Big Ten in 15-plus yard pass percentage. He wasn't just checking it down to Nicholas Singleton anymore. He was hunting. He was aggressive.
But here’s the thing most people miss: the supporting cast was still a work in progress. While the tight ends, led by Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea, were elite, the wide receiver room was still struggling to create the "big window" throws that NFL scouts wanted to see. Allar was often forced to be perfect because his receivers weren't winning their one-on-ones.
The Ethan Grunkemeyer Transition
When Allar went down, the keys went to Ethan Grunkemeyer.
He’s a different kind of player. Smaller, twitchier, maybe a bit more "playground" in his style. He finished the 2025 season as the starter, and while he showed flashes of being a high-level Big Ten starter, the results were a rollercoaster. One week he looks like the next Trace McSorley, and the next, he’s struggling to read a simple cover-2.
It wasn't enough to save the season, and as we now know, Grunkemeyer didn't stick around. He’s headed to Virginia Tech, part of a massive exodus that has completely redefined the program under the new leadership of Matt Campbell.
The Great 2026 Reset (And What it Means for 2025)
You can't talk about the penn state qb 2025 situation without acknowledging how it ended. It was a total wipeout.
By January 2026, the room was empty.
- Drew Allar: NFL Draft bound (likely a mid-round project now).
- Ethan Grunkemeyer: Transferred to Virginia Tech.
- Jaxon Smolik: Signed with Temple.
- Bekkem Kritza: Entered the portal.
Matt Campbell didn't just come in and tweak things; he brought his own guys. Bringing in Rocco Becht and Alex Manske from Iowa State is the most "new era" move possible. It’s a clean break from the Franklin era.
Becht is the polar opposite of the 2025 Allar experience. He’s a 6-foot-1 scrapper who has nearly 10,000 career yards and knows Campbell’s system like the back of his hand. He isn't the five-star prototype, but he’s a winner who has already been to a Big 12 title game.
What Really Happened With the Allar Hype?
A lot of people call Allar a "bust." That’s just lazy.
The guy finished his career with 61 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. Those are elite numbers. The problem was the "Joe Flacco" comparison. He looked like a pro, he moved like a pro, but the "clutch" moments were few and far between. The 2025 loss to Notre Dame—where he basically didn't complete a pass to a wide receiver—will haunt his draft stock forever.
He has the "it" factor in terms of physical tools, but the footwork never quite got there. He’d click his heels like Dorothy in the pocket and then wonder why his 10-yard out sailed into the third row.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you’re a Penn State fan or a bettor looking at the 2026 transition, here is the reality of where things stand after the 2025 chaos:
- Expect a Higher Floor, Lower Ceiling: Rocco Becht won't make the "holy cow" throws Allar made, but he won't have the mechanical meltdowns that led to three-and-outs in big games.
- Watch the "LionCat" Evolution: Coach Campbell is likely to keep some of Kotelnicki’s creative personnel groupings, but with more emphasis on quick-game efficiency rather than deep-ball hunting.
- The Freshman Factor: Keep an eye on Alex Manske. If Becht struggles or the shoulder surgery he had in December lingers, Manske is the "future" everyone is already talking about.
The 2025 season was a heartbreak, plain and simple. It was the end of an era that promised a National Championship and delivered a lot of very good, but not great, football. As the program moves into 2026 with a totally new roster, the lessons of the Allar years—mechanics matter more than arm talent, and coaching stability is everything—will be the foundation of whatever comes next.
The penn state qb 2025 saga is over, but the ripple effects in the transfer portal are just beginning to settle. For the first time in a long time, the Nittany Lions aren't banking on a "chosen one" at quarterback. They're banking on a system. And honestly, that might be exactly what they need.