With Beau Pribula hitting the transfer portal this week, Penn State football is in need of a new No. 2 quarterback behind Drew Allar for Saturday’s College Football Playoff game against SMU. On Wednesday night, James Franklin announced that true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer will take second-string duties under center, a relatively easy call given the current state of the Nittany Lions’ quarterback room.
“Ethan will be the backup quarterback in the game,” Franklin said in his midweek media scrum. “[Jaxon] Smolik still isn’t cleared medically. So, Grunk’s done a really good job and put himself in a position that we have a lot of confidence, and he was getting a ton of reps this week.”
Redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik, the only quarterback on the roster to take live, in-game snaps, has been sidelined with a lower leg injury since the spring. Franklin clarified Wednesday evening that while Smolik has been medically cleared to return to practice, he has not received the green light for game action.
With redshirt freshman Jack Lambert running the scout team, Pribula’s exit creates a potentially perilous situation for Penn State in a doomsday scenario.
Want to stay up-to-date on all things Penn State football as the Nittany Lions prepare for their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance? Follow us on social media and subscribe to our free newsletter for live news and insights sent directly to your feed!
“We don’t have a third option right now,” Franklin said of the Nittany Lions options after Grunkemeyer.
However, Franklin would not comment on whether we could see more of Tyler Warren in the backfield if depth issues arise at quarterback.
“Again, I get the question. I understand that you guys have to ask the questions,” Franklin expressed. “But our strategy and what we would do in this game, saying it now so they can start preparing for it during the week, I don’t think makes a whole lot of sense.”
One of the hidden gems of the Nittany Lions’ 2024 recruiting class, Ethan Grunkemeyer rose from a three-star prospect to become a top-10 quarterback by the time he signed with Penn State football. The Olentangy product threw for the seventh-most yards in Ohio as a senior, racking up 3,517 yards with 39 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Grunkemeyer has yet to make an appearance in his Nittany Lion career.
Kickoff between Penn State football and SMU is set for noon on Saturday; the game will air on TNT and stream on Max.
Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!
Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.