Breaking News: Penn State QB Drew Allar to Return to School in '25

A domino in the 2025 NFL Draft class has fallen, with quarterback Drew Allar telling Penn State coaches he will return to school next season. The news, coming from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, was shared on social media Monday morning.

Allar was most recently graded by our staff as a Round 2 talent, but with the potential and tools to push his way into the first round with a strong pre-draft process and a strong showing in the college football playoffs. Penn State, ranked No. 6, hosts No. 11 SMU in the first round and would go on to play Boise State in the second round should they win.

A former five-star prospect, the 6’5” and 240 pound junior took major strides during the 2024 season under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnecki. Allar saw his touchdowns drop from 25 in 2023 to 21 this year—and his interceptions went from two last year to seven—but his overall play improved. Allar became more willing to use his legs, to take deep shots down the field, and to be more loose and attacking as a decision-maker. As scouts we look at tools plus development, and Allar showed the development this season to believe he was on an upward trajectory as a passer.

Now we’ll wait until the 2026 draft to further evaluate the 21-5 starter who has drawn comparisons to Justin Herbert and Josh Allen.

Allar’s decision affects not just him and Penn State, but the entire NFL and the 2025 quarterback class.

Currently, only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward rank as first-round quarterbacks. Injury to Georgia’s Carson Beck and a decline in play from Quinn Ewers at Texas has left the top end of this class with little proven talent. Unlike last draft when six NFL teams drafted quarterbacks in the first round, this year lacks that type of crop at the most important position in sports.

The current draft order features six teams in the top 10 selections that could entertain quarterbacks. The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, at picks Nos. 1 and 2 overall, feel like locks to select a passer. The Tennessee Titans (No. 6), Cleveland Browns (No. 7), New York Jets (No. 8) and New Orleans Saints (No. 10) could all look to make changes under center.

With Allar out, will someone rise up the board like Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. did last year? It’s tough to figure out who that could be, barring a turnaround in the playoffs from Ewers or a healthy diagnosis of Georgia’s Beck following a UCL injury in the SEC title game.

Alabama’s Jalen Milroe has potential, but could also return to college for the upcoming season. That leaves players like Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) and Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) as the next-best options; and neither ranks as a top 75 player for us.

This is great news if you’re the agent for free agent NFL quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, but dreary news if you’re the fan of an NFL team needing to draft a quarterback early in this class.