Amid James Franklin’s hit-and-miss season, one conversation has always dominated: Is Drew Allar even worth it? Yes, the QB has been explosive at times. But in big games vs Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, and then getting eliminated (vs Notre Dame, 27-24) after the team reached the College Football Playoff for the first time, he’s lacked the rigor. “I’m not sold on him,” one Big Ten position coach had noted. And he wasn’t alone. Even before the team ended the season with an ambitious 13-3, critic after critic pointed out everything that was wrong with Allar.

Some noted that the signal-caller just needed some reliable wide-receivers to get into form. However, others pointed out how Allar had to first clean up his “footwork and accuracy”. In brief: The growing opinion pointed toward a consistent distrust in the 21-year-old’s abilities, as noted by FootballScoop Zach Burnett on X after Allar’s Orange Bowl blunder: “Y’all, I don’t think Drew Allar is going pro.” Notably, the QB was unceremoniously intercepted in the opponent’s territory with 33 seconds to go, leading to a 41-yard field goal, and a loss.

Soon after, even retired NFL quarterback Greg McElroy added his own take to the discourse with some choice words pointing out how the game “required top-level accuracy, and he just missed too many throws.” “That is a throw that you absolutely, under no circumstances, can make as a starting quarterback that is played now two full seasons as the starter. Can’t happen. It’s an inexcusable mistake, and one that he will agonize over for a very, very long time,” he had further said.

So, in the end, looks like Allar’s career-high 3,327 passing yards, 302 rushing, eight touchdowns and 66.5% completion rate, didn’t help turn the tides in his favor. However, if you ask Chuck Losey, the Penn State Strengths coach, he seems to have full confidence in the starter, and his teammates. Appearing for the team’s annual weight room event for the media on Thursday afternoon, the staffer confidently noted, “You talk about Aller…Maturity, confidence, commanding the room…Very impressed,” before adding later:

“His body composition is in a much better place this year but his big thing is movement economy and making sure [that] his short area of movement, mid-long distance speed is there. And I think he flexed…he had opportunities to flex it this past season. 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. So, that’s an area that I knew was going to be developmental for him.”

“I think the whole quarterback room has shown consistency, you know, Drew (Allar), Grunk (Ethan Grunkemeyer), Smolik (Jaxon), Jack (Lambert). I think that whole room has been outstanding,” Losey concluded.

What this essentially means is that Penn State currently has a reliable room as far as QBs are concerned. Ethan Grunkemeyer, standing at 6 foot 2 and 207 lb, promises quite a lot in what will be his redshirt freshman season in 2025. Jaxon Smolik and Jack Lambert are the players who didn’t see any snaps in their freshman year, so they will be looking to build their foundations going forward. But all eyes would be on James Franklin’s ace man, Drew Allar, as he will be looking to translate his talent and efficiency with silverware in 2025. But what about their receiver room?

Well, their receiver room was not quite up to the mark in the 2024 season. We saw consistency issues all around as the receiving corps failed to produce when it mattered the most. Their receiving charts were dominated by Tyler Warren’s heroics as he caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards, and eight touchdowns, playing as a tight end. Other than him, Trey Wallace has 46 receptions for 720 receiving yards and four TDs in the 2024 season, and Omari Evans garnered 21 passes for 415 yards, and five touchdowns. Yet, Evans specifically struggled quite a bit as he played in five games without a single catch. Liam Clifford, on the other hand, just had 18 receptions for 286 yards, and one TD.

So, this is one of the areas they need to improve. And it seems they might be doing just that.

Does Tyler Warren need to worry?

Penn State’s 2025 class ranks fifth in the Big 10 and has some of the very best prospects in their roster. 4-star Andrew Olesh (TE) is ranked 3rd in this position, and another 4-star CB, Daryus Dixson, has a rating of 92.75 on On3. Overall, their class looks like a well-oiled machine, with 27 freshman prospects and 6 transfers. Devante Ross (WR), amongst the transfers from the Troy Trojans, will stand out the most and will provide a lot in the already struggling receiver department.

However, Penn State’s Strengths coach touted another player to be the game changer in the 2025 season. “Luke Reynolds, he’s got a template set out in front of him with Tyler Warren. For the past four or five years he’s fallen it to the tea so far, this has been an outstanding one for him.”

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 241 lbs, the player has the tenacity. This is evident from the fact that in the limited appearances that he had in the 2024 season, he still managed to execute a carry for 32 yards against Minnesota Golden Gophers. Still, he has a lot of work to do in his game. Only time will tell how much he’s progressed…