The air in State College feels different lately. If you’ve spent any time near Beaver Stadium this winter, you know the vibe isn't just "offseason as usual." It’s more like a total house cleaning. For years, the conversation surrounding quarterbacks for Penn State was anchored by one name: Drew Allar. He was the five-star savior, the "Medina Magician" with the NFL frame and the arm that could allegedly knock a bird out of the sky from sixty yards away.
But then 2025 happened.
Honestly, the way that season ended—and the way the current roster has been gutted—is something most fans are still trying to wrap their heads around. We went from talking about a Heisman run to watching a complete exodus. If you're looking at the depth chart today, you’re basically looking at a blank whiteboard.
The Allar Era and the 2025 Collapse
Let’s be real. Drew Allar’s career at Penn State will be studied for a long time, mostly as a "what if" story. On paper, he was everything. He broke records for completion percentage and interception avoidance. In 2024, he threw for over 3,300 yards and 24 touchdowns. But the "big game" monkey never left his back.
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The 2025 season was supposed to be the "all-in" year. Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the preseason. They had the transfer wideouts like Trebor Pena and Devonte Ross. They had the $3 million NIL deal to keep Allar from the draft. Then, the Northwestern game happened. A season-ending ankle injury didn't just sideline Allar; it effectively ended an entire era of Penn State football.
Without Allar, the offense under Andy Kotelnicki looked lost. It’s wild how fast things can crumble. Kotelnicki, who was hailed as a genius after his time at Kansas, suddenly faced heat for not trusting his backup and shrinking the playbook. The vertical passing game just... vanished.
The Great 2026 Reset
Here is the part most people are getting wrong about the current state of quarterbacks for Penn State: nobody from the 2025 scholarship room is left.
It’s a ghost town.
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- Drew Allar is off to the NFL.
- Ethan Grunkemeyer, who actually looked decent in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson, hit the portal on New Year’s Day.
- Jaxon Smolik and Bekkem Kritza? Both gone.
This isn't just a transition. It's a demolition. With James Franklin gone and Matt Campbell taking the reins, the program has decided to import its future rather than grow it.
Enter Rocco Becht
The most significant move of the 2026 offseason was landing Rocco Becht from Iowa State. It makes sense, right? Campbell brings his own guy. Becht isn't a "project." He’s a veteran with starting wins in a Power Four conference. He doesn't have Allar’s "cannon," but he’s got something Penn State has desperately lacked: consistency in the clutch.
Becht’s arrival is a one-year bridge. It’s a "win now" move while the staff tries to fix the recruiting pipeline. Behind him, it’s all fresh faces. Alex Manske, another Iowa State flip, and Peyton Falzone are the names you’ll be hearing for the next three years.
Falzone is the interesting one. He flipped to Auburn, then flipped back to Penn State on National Signing Day. He has the highest "ceiling" of anyone in the room—6'5", mobile, and a local kid from Nazareth. But he's a true freshman. You don't want him starting in the Big Ten in September. Not if you want to keep his confidence intact.
Why the "System" Kept Failing
You can’t talk about quarterbacks for Penn State without talking about the "LionCat" and the constant identity crisis. For years, the coaching staff tried to be too many things at once. They wanted the pro-style arm of Allar, but they kept running Wildcat snaps with Tyler Warren because they didn't trust the passing rhythm.
It created a weird, stop-and-go offense.
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One play, Allar is heaving a 50-yard dime to Harrison Wallace III. The next, the offense is stuck in a horizontal screen-pass nightmare that goes for minus-two yards. By the time the UCLA game rolled around in late 2025, the lack of trust between the sideline and the quarterback was palpable. You could see it on Allar's face.
Matt Campbell’s challenge isn't just finding a guy who can throw. It’s building a system that doesn't handcuff the talent. He did it with Brock Purdy. He did it with Becht at Ames. Now he has to do it in the pressure cooker of Happy Valley.
What’s Next for the Nittany Lions?
If you're a fan, the next few months are all about the "Midwest Pipeline." Campbell is leaning heavily on his roots to restock a cupboard that was left completely bare.
The reality? The 2026 season will live or die on Rocco Becht’s health. If he goes down, you’re looking at Alex Manske—a redshirt freshman with almost zero snaps—or Falzone. It is a high-wire act without a net.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season:
- Watch the Spring Game: Pay zero attention to the stats. Look at how quickly Becht gets the ball out. If the "horizontal" focus of 2025 remains, the offense is still in trouble.
- Monitor the Portal (Again): Penn State still needs a veteran QB2. Relying on two freshmen behind Becht is coaching malpractice in the modern era.
- Focus on the O-Line: Allar faced 18 pressures on 25 dropbacks against Oregon. No quarterback, not even a five-star, survives that. If the protection doesn't improve, the name of the quarterback won't actually matter.
The era of the "savior" is over. Penn State is finally moving toward a "system" approach. It might not be as flashy as the Allar hype, but after the way 2025 ended, "boring and effective" sounds like a dream.