Drew Allar never met the recruiting hype, but Pittsburgh offers a soft landing spot for the maligned QB

Allar ranked among the top recruits in Penn State history, but slipped down draft boards after an up-and-down career with the Nittany Lions

Shehan Jeyarajah

Bryan DeArdo

Apr 24, 2026

11:05 pm ET

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7 min read

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Early in his first start against West Virginia, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar dropped back. The Medina, Ohio, native escaped pressure, stepped up in the pocket and launched a pass to wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith more than 40 yards downfield.

The ball sailed over the outstretched arms of a defender into Lambert-Smith's waiting hands, and he waltzed into the end zone with his arms stretched wide. "Welcome to the Drew Allar era," the broadcast exclaimed. And for a moment, the future of Penn State football seemed crystal clear.

Allar was a generational recruit, rated the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2022. He was billed as the savior, a bonafide first round NFL Draft talent. Championships were possible, especially as the Nittany Lions welcomed in a heralded recruiting class alongside him.

Instead, Allar's tenure marked the end for Penn State coach James Franklin. Allar was drafted No. 76 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night, where he figures to be an offseason footnote as the organization awaits word from Aaron Rodgers.

"The Steelers now appear to be a pretty clear plan at quarterback. Assuming Aaron Rodgers comes back, the Steelers will have Rodgers and two potential successors behind him in Allar and Will Howard, with Mason Rudolph likely being the odd man out. If Rodgers decides to retire, the Steelers will move forward with the three quarterbacks currently on their roster," said CBS Sports NFL writer Bryan DeArdo, who used to cover the Steelers.

A good chunk of Allar's story complete -- from No. 3 recruit to third-rounder -- it is time to revisit a complicated story of wrong time, wrong place, and a hyper-talented quarterback who struggled to trust his prodigious skills.

Generational recruit

It didn't take long for Allar to show up on the radars of college scouts. After a promising junior season, Allar shot up to a top 100 prospect in his recruiting class. A few games into his senior season, five-star status was almost all but assured.

By all metrics, Allar seemed like an almost perfect quarterback recruit. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, his size was college-ready at 16. That strength translated into a dynamic arm, sailing the ball downfield with ease. 247Sports evaluators even pointed to his mobility and off-platform throwing as a major strength, especially after playing other positions.

Penn State was quick to recognize Allar's brilliance, becoming only the third Power Four school to offer. Two months later, he committed and seemed to be a game-changing addition for Franklin's program.

The Nittany Lions were massive producers of NFL talent across the board under Franklin, but quarterback was always a hole. While Sean Clifford and Trace McSorley provided playmaking, they paled in comparison to the playmakers coming out of Ohio State every year. Finally, Allar seemed to close that gap. Unwittingly, he also brought scrutiny.

Downfield-gate

Fans clamored for Allar to get on the field as a true freshman, but Clifford's graduation was always seen as his moment. The West Virginia season opener seemed to provide proof of concept as Allar exploded for 325 yards and three touchdowns. Stunningly, it ended up being the peak of his season.

Allar failed to clear 300 yards again, failing to even hit 200 yards in six games. Heading into October 2023, the Nittany Lions ranked last in the Big Ten in passing plays of more than 10 yards despite having their biggest-armed quarterback in years. A reporter famously asked James Franklin about whether Penn State would benefit from trying to dial up and force more downfield throws.

"You're speaking Japanese, like, we have never done that," Franklin said. "Just throw the ball up and maybe he'll be open and maybe he'll catch, like, my skin is like, like you're making me uncomfortable."

That said, Allar was notably handcuffed. Allar threw passes more than 20 yards downfield on only 9.2% of his attempts, the second-worst mark in the country, despite rating reasonably well on said throws. His average depth of target and Big Time Throw rates, per Pro Football Focus, were utterly forgettable.

Penn State posted a 10-win season, but Allar went a combined 24-of-55 against Ohio State and Michigan.

Settling in with a new coordinator

Heading into the 2024 season, Franklin seemed dead-set on finding a coordinator who could help develop Allar. Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki ultimately took the call after helping the Jayhawks to a historic nine-win season.

Kotelnicki came to prominence for his work with Tyree Jackson at Buffalo and Jalon Daniels