Young Penn State QB Jaxon Smolik excelling off injury

There’s no question that Drew Allar will be taking the snaps under center for Penn State football this fall. But behind the senior quarterback, the battle between redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik and redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer for the No. 2 role is heating up this spring.

“Jaxon has done a heck of a job,” James Franklin said on Tuesday. “We didn’t really know coming off the injury where he would be. But both of them are doing really well. And that’s not coach speak. They’re both doing very, very well.

“So I think this is going to be a competition that’s going to go on for a while. I thought Jaxon would come off the injury a little rusty. He has not been. Both of them are playing really well. So we got to continue to build on it.”

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Smolik was confirmed to have suffered a significant lower-body injury last spring. Although he dressed for the Nittany Lions throughout 2024, the Van Meter, Iowa, native wasn’t medically cleared to play. As a result, Grunkemeyer was named as Allar’s backup for the College Football Playoff after Beau Pribula’s transfer to Missouri.

“Grunk’s done a really good job and put himself in a position that we have a lot of confidence,” Franklin said in December.

Picture behind Allar at quarterback is unclear for Penn State football

Penn State football backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. © Matt Thomas / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

While Allar will be one of the most experienced returning starters in the country in 2025, the rest of Penn State’s quarterback room is largely unproven.

Outside of Allar, Nittany Lion quarterbacks have two combined passing attempts in college. Those throws belong to Grunkemeyer – an interception and nine-yard completion against SMU during the CFP.

Behind Grunkemeyer and Smolik, Penn State has redshirt sophomore Jack Lambert and true freshman Bekkem Kritza on the roster. A former three-star, Kritza was the No. 50 passer in the class of 2025, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

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