Drew Allar compared to Penn State QB legend after first career start

Last night, Drew Allar took his first snaps as the starting QB for Penn State football. A moment almost two and a half years removed from his commitment to the Nittany Lions, Allar lived up to his five-star pedigree against West Virginia. Allar’s outing led to a night of many firsts for the 19-year-old sophomore. But just how good was Allar’s performance? Well, his head-turning stat line is now drawing comparisons to Penn State QB legend Kerry Collins in his first career start.

Allar’s night by the numbers

To say that the performance of Drew Allar against West Virginia was historic may be a bit of an understatement. Allar went 21-29 for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns in a little over three and a half quarters of action last night.

In addition to many personal bests, Allar’s night was historic in the context of the Penn State football program. The sophomore became the first Penn State QB to throw for at least 300 yards in his first career start since Michael Robinson threw for 379 yards against Wisconsin in 2003. He was also the first Nittany Lion QB to have at least 300 passing yards in a season opener since Christian Hackenberg’s 454 yards versus UCF in 2014.

Drew Allar draws comparisons to Penn State QB legend Kerry Collins

Outside of his career marks and historical program accomplishments, Drew Allar’s performance last night had some harkening back to former Nittany Lion greats. As Mark Wogenrich of Sports Illustrated pointed out last evening, Allar’s first start is eerily similar to that of Penn State QB legend Kerry Collins.

Penn State's Kerry Collins made his starting debut as a sophomore vs. WVU in 1992. His line: 15-for-30, 249 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT.

Drew Allar made his starting debut as a sophomore vs. WVU in 2023. His line: 21-for-29, 325 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT. pic.twitter.com/qdIQoHygCr

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) September 3, 2023

Both Penn State QBs were equally as impressive in their Nittany Lion debuts. Collins, who also made his first start against West Virginia in 1992, went 15-30 for 249 yards and 2 scores. Allar, of course, exceeded those marks in every category, achieving both the first 200 and 300-yard passing performances of his young Penn State career.

While the rest of the Drew Allar era in Happy Valley has yet to be written, if the 19-year-old continues to draw comparisons to Nittany Lion greats such as Kerry Collins, then the future of Penn State football will be bright.

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