Penn State hones physical development of QB Drew Allar
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STATE COLLEGE — There’s little doubt one of the biggest keys to Penn State’s 2025 season lies in senior quarterback Drew Allar.
The Medina, Ohio, native took a step forward in his second year as a starter last season, especially as a vocal leader and a runner out of the pocket. But he also failed to perform at his best in important moments last season, like in the Big Ten championship and Orange Bowl losses in the postseason.
The process of making sure Allar makes another leap in his senior year has already begun. He’s again grown further as a leader through winter workouts, according to strength coach Chuck Losey, and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien has twice named Allar his “competitor of the day. ” But those things should be expected from the signal caller.
What’s important is exactly where Losey has seen Allar grow physically and what’s left to develop. Last year, Losey said Allar needed to work specifically on his body composition. That’s code to say the staff is happy with a player’s weight, but they want to shed a little fat and add some muscle. Allar’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds and will likely stay in that range moving forward.
Losey still wants to hone the body composition for his quarterback, so things haven’t changed a ton for their physical goals. But there’s extra focus this offseason on the “movement economy” for Allar.
“Making sure his short-area movement, mid-to-long distance speed is there. I think he had opportunities to flex it this past season,” Losey said. “You guys saw the improvement in his pocket awareness and his ability to maneuver in the pocket, and then his ability to actually get downfield and make plays with his legs.”
Allar set a new career high with 18.9 rushing yards per game and six rushing scores, and while the totals aren’t gaudy, his ability to escape the pocket and extend plays was important in a number of big moments.
If offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki can rely on a designed run from Allar with a little more frequency — especially in the absence of Beau Pribula — it could be a big boost to the offense this fall.
“That’s an area that I knew was going to be developmental for him, and I still think we’ve got some more developing to go with it,” Losey said. “So his foot speed, body composition — those would remain the focus for him.”