There’s pressure… and then there’s whatever Drew Allar’s walking into right now. The man’s stepping into his final season at Penn State with the weight of an entire damn program on his back. Coming off a brutal Playoff loss to Notre Dame, James Franklin’s crew limped outta 2024 with more questions than answers. Tyler Warren? Gone. Backup Beau Pribula? Gone. The vibes? Straight MIA. Now it’s spring ball 2025, and Allar just dropped some heat behind closed doors. And yeah, he said something that got folks really raising eyebrows. But first, let’s unpack this QB room drama real quick.

After that Notre Dame heartbreak, the entire quarterback room basically hit the reset button. With Pribula now in Missouri colors, the backup gig? Wide open. And Allar isn’t pretending like he’s the only story. When asked about the young guns—Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik—Drew gave ‘em flowers but kept it blunt:

“I mean, they both done a really good job this spring. You know, I think with them, they’re very competitive in what they do, and they get better every practice. You know, they’re still young, obviously, and since they’ve been here, but they’ve made a drastic improvement this spring through the first 12 or 13 practices, whatever we’ve been through now. It’s been fun to see, it’s cool to see their development.” That QB room? It’s lookin’ like a tight little unit. And with QB coach Danny O’Brien steering the ship, Allar’s confident they’ve built something rare.

Ethan Grunkemeyer is that Ohio-bred record-setter who threw for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns in his senior year. Man was slicing defenses up like deli meat. Now? He’s got first dibs on being Drew’s shadow. Meanwhile, Smolik just touched down. True freshman. Brand new to this whole college-speed mess. But his arm? Certified.

Allar made one thing real clear though—the QB room’s culture is the real MVP: “I think we have a really good culture in that room where, you know, there’s obviously we want to be competitive and win in everything that… you know, taking the time to teach each other, teach each other stuff, talk through what we’re seeing, asking questions. And, you know, it’s a really good room right now, and I’m really excited to see, you know, them continue to develop just because they both have bright futures ahead of them.”

That energy’s finna be crucial, based on Drew’s props to QBs, James Franklin can relay on QB room, especially after losing Pribula to portal, cause if Drew goes down—or worse, underdelivers—it’s on these kids to carry a playoff-hungry squad with no time for growing pains.

Drew Allar on the departure of Tyler Warren

Now let’s talk about the freaking freight train that just left the building: Tyler Warren. The Big Ten DB assassin. Penn State’s most grown-man offensive weapon in 2024 is officially NFL-bound, and, folks, that’s a crater-sized hole left behind.

Allar didn’t dodge the topic. Matter of fact, he kept it all the way 100. “Let’s start with Ty [Tyler Warren], obviously, you know, wish him nothing but the best of luck, uh, this week, excited to see where he goes and, you know, he’s worked really hard for this moment, so I’m really excited for him and his family. So, I’m really excited to watch, tune into the draft Thursday and see where he goes.”

That’s love. No idea where Tyler is going to end up tomorrow. But make no mistake—Drew knows what they lost. Not gonna lie, Tyler Warren was a mythical recruiting pick by Penn State. As optimistic as it gets, Penn State would have a hard time replacing that Tyler Warren numbers. Let’s put it in perspective. 1,233 receiving yards. Eight TDs through the air. 218 more on the ground and four extra rushing scores. Had a 224-yard game like it was nothing. That TE was low-key built like a Ford F-250 and moved like one.

So who’s next? That’s what reporters wanted to know. Allar’s answer? It’s complicated. “Coach K always talks about—it’s the players that make the offense,” he said. Translation? We ain’t got another Tyler Warren, but we gotta find out who the hell’s gonna step up. Penn State’s got a few names floating up. Khalil Dinkins? Man was slept on last year. Drew said it best: “He’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the country… and made some tough contested catches.” Don’t let the stat sheet fool you—Khalil found most of the reps in the trenches, not on routes. The man caught 14 receptions for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Then there’s Luke Reynolds. Former QB turned tight end. Brand new to the role but already got jaws dropping in practice, Drew Allar summed it up perfectly: “Luke’s going to be a really good player for us, you know, obviously really new to the position of tight end being a quarterback in high school for the majority of his career and then switching over to tight end, so, you know, he’s really just scratching the surface with his potential.”

Drew Allar hinted at the shift—offense is becoming more about spreading it out, finding what works for each weapon, and customizing the game plan. Khalil might be the blocker, Luke the breakout threat. But this ain’t gonna be a one-man band no more. “You know, finding out who our best players are… that’s an ongoing process right now,” Allar said. And no cap, that’s gonna take time. The offense in 2025 might be a whole new animal—and it’ll take patience to find its fangs.

So yeah, no Tyler Warren. No excuses either. The Allar Era is entering its final chapter, and it’s got drama written all over it. Penn State’s got something cooking to do. As for Tyler Warren’s draft pick, whoever gets Tyler shall get a potential Hall-of-Famer.