A look at Drew Allar’s development ahead of the 2023 season

April 15th is a date that is circled on the calendars of many Penn State football fans right now. Why? Because it officially starts the Drew Allar era in State College, which has been anticipated among Nittany Lion fans for years. During spring practice, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar had a chance to break down how he has changed and progressed ahead of the 2023 season this fall.

Drew Allar has seen a great deal of progression

Drew Allar — who committed to Penn State football as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting cycle — is one of the most-hyped Nittany Lions that the program has ever seen. When Allar committed, the Nittany Lions were in the middle of a hard time in the program’s history (the 11-11 seasons from 2020-21) and needed something to look forward to, which quickly became the Drew Allar era.

As a 19-year-old quarterback heading into what many believe will be his first season as Penn State’s starting quarterback, Drew Allar has managed to develop quite a bit throughout his one year in State College, especially throughout this spring.

What stands out the most about Allar’s progression?

Heading into his sophomore season at Penn State, Allar is a better quarterback than he was a season ago in more ways than one.

“I definitely am a lot more comfortable,” Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said during spring ball. “I think that just comes with nature, being in the offense for the second year in a row. Defiantly a lot more familiar with everything, the checks that we want to get into, all that sort of stuff. More comfortable with the run game, pass game, protections, all of that. I think everything in general has slowed down for me just from experience and being in the offense for the second year in a row.”

Penn State quarterback and his offensive line are developing together

The 2023 season will be slightly different for the entire Penn State football offense, especially the Nittany Lions’ offensive line. While there are some holes to fill, the team appears to be confident in this year’s O-Line unit; star running back Kaytron Allen even claims that Penn State’s offensive line is the best in the nation. Still, with a new center and a new quarterback, more work needs to be done before the fall opener against West Virginia on September 2nd.

“It has been really good,” Allar told reporters when asked about his progression with a new center. “I think every center that we have had playing so far has done a really good job. They’re all super smart which helps us out a ton; we’re on the same page as them as far as run-game IDs and protection IDs. So, it definitely makes it a lot easier when we’re dealing with super smart people in that room and a great offensive line coaching staff in that room.”

Allar’s confidence is rising as a Penn State football player

Being one of the most talked about players in college football while balancing college classes as a 19-year-old is a job few can handle. Still, Drew Allar finds confidence in himself more than anyone else and is tuning out the noise.

“I think I have that inner self-belief and confidence,” Allar told reporters. “I think you have to be confident at this level, you’re playing against the best players each day and you’re playing with the best players, so you definitely have to have that self confidence that you belong here.

“I think the team as a whole, we’ve grown really close,” Allar continued, “I am close with the offensive linemen, and the offense as a whole — it’s easy to talk to everybody in this program, whether it’s coaches, training staff, [and more].”

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