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The 10 biggest ‘what ifs’ for Penn State Football recruiting

By Alec Whitaker

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 01: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on during the third quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 2022 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 01: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on during the third quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 2022 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Drew Allar, Penn State Football Recruiting
Medina quarterback Drew Allar (Image via the Akron Beacon) /

8. What if Notre Dame Offered Drew Allar Before Penn State did?

Drew Allar is the headliner of Penn State’s loaded 2022 recruiting class. He is the highest rated quarterback brought in by Franklin and is listed as the No.1 quarterback in the country by 247 Sports.

While Allar is currently enrolled at Penn State Football, and is set to be the next starting quarterback of the Nittany Lions after Sean Clifford leaves, what if Notre Dame got to him first?

As most Penn State fans know, it was the quick thinking of brand-new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich that helped the Nittany Lions secure Allar’s commitment. One of the first things Yurcich did when he arrived in Happy Valley was offer Allar. At the time, Allar was just a 3-star and did not have any notable offers.

Once Allar received his Penn State offer, others started to take notice, colleges and recruiting services alike. One school that really started to take notice in Allar was Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were also looking for a premier quarterback to add to their class and Allar was a perfect target. The issue for Notre Dame was that they wanted until February to extend an official offer to Allar, about a month after Penn State did.

Allar decided to shut down his recruitment rather quickly, despite it really only picking up within the last few months and committed to the Nittany Lions in March. Notre Dame put on the full-court press for Allar, but Yurcich and the Nittany Lions were already rounding third and heading for home by the time that happened.

So, if Notre Dame had offered Allar at the same time, or earlier than Penn State, would Allar be in South Bend right now?

It’s certainly a possibility.

Allar has mentioned that his relationship with Franklin and Yurcich was key to his commitment and for a while, Penn State was the only school seriously pursuing him. If the Irish were there to block the constant flow of communication between Allar and Penn State, it’s possible that Allar either stretched his recruitment out further or had a tougher decision to make.

In the end, it’s likely Allar just liked Yurcich’s pitch more than the one Tommy Rees and Notre Dame gave.

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