Drew Allar’s frame, arm talent, and athleticism would lead you to believe he was destined for greatness. But his high school career actually took a couple of years to take off.
Where Did Penn State QB Drew Allar Play in High School?
Allar played football at Medina High School in Medina, Ohio. Yet, we need to rewind even further to capture the complete picture. Allar told the Medina Gazette that because his father, Kevin, was his youth coach, the family didn’t want his teammates to believe he played QB due to nepotism. So, he began his career as a fullback and linebacker.
However, once at Medina he transitioned to QB and started as a sophomore. Three years, back-to-back state regional final appearances, and numerous school and county records — career passing yards (9,103), career passing TDs (98), season passing yards (4,444), season passing TDs (48), passing yards in a game (525), and passing TDs in a game (five) — later, and Allar was all the talk.
He received invites to the 2022 All-American Bowl and the Elite 11 and several player-of-the-year awards as a senior, propelling him to a five-star recruit and the No. 1 QB prospect status by 247Sports and On3.
In case that wasn’t enough, Allar also played on the JV basketball his first two years at Medina and was a pitcher on the baseball team, reaching 86 miles per hour.
Allar’s first scholarship offer came as a sophomore when Central Michigan’s QBs coach and offensive coordinator Charlie Frye saw his potential. Usually, that would be insignificant, but Allar grew up a huge Cleveland Browns fan and even had Frye’s jersey in his closet.
His first Power Five offer came from Pittsburgh entering his junior year, and the floodgates opened after the season. Although Notre Dame, Tennessee, Louisville, Indiana, Washington, Texas A&M, Michigan, Eastern Michigan (his father’s Alma Mater), and many more sought his services, Allar announced his commitment to Penn State on his birthday.
100% Committed! #WeAre pic.twitter.com/4AEsDPJ38j
— Drew Allar (@AllarDrew) March 8, 2021
Despite a late offer from Ohio State, Allar remained loyal to the Nittany Lions and enrolled early in Jan. 2022. He was named the backup entering the 2022 season but made his debut in the opener, completing two passes for 26 yards when starter Sean Clifford left the game with a knee injury.
Allar came off the bench in nine games as a true freshman, completing 35 of 60 passes for 344 yards and four TDs while also adding 52 yards and a score on the ground. But 2023 was his year.
At 6’5″ and 235 pounds with all the tools a QB coach could dream of, expectations were high for Allar in Happy Valley.
The Ohio native responded with an FBS record of 311 passing attempts without an INT, a 10-2 regular season, and a Peach Bowl berth. Yet, Penn State’s losses came against Big Ten bluebloods Ohio State and Michigan, highlighting the program’s inability to finish atop the conference.
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Still, Allar played extremely well for a first-year starter, completing nearly 60% of his passes for 2,631 yards, 25 TDs, and two INTs. His TD:INT ratio of 12.5:1 was second only to Oregon’s Bo Nix (15:1), and his 176 points responsible for were second most in the Big Ten.
With new OC Andy Kotelnicki calling the plays and another offseason of refinement under his belt, Allar aims to prove that Penn State belongs on college football’s biggest stage.
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