Penn State football quarterback Drew Allar is out for the season, according to head coach James Franklin who revealed the unfortunate news in his postgame press conference following the loss to Northwestern.
On Saturday, Allar sustained a lower left leg injury, seemingly his ankle. On a third down attempt, Allar scrambled up the middle hoping to pick up the first down. Instead, the Wildcats defense tackled him down and Allar did not return to his feet for a few minutes. The officials called an injury timeout and Allar limped off the field with a few minutes remaining in the game. Eventually, Allar was carted off the field.
Penn State QB Drew Allar is now out for the season, per HC James Franklin.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2025
After being carted off the field, his hopes to return in the season slowly diminished. In his press conference, Franklin announced the bad news with bad timing for the blue and white. Now without their third-year starting quarterback, the Nittany Lions' (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) ability to climb out of a hole seems impossible.
Backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer will step up into Allar's role, but he has yet to log significant snaps in significant games. He saw time against Nevada and Villanova in 2025, completing eight of 11 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown. He has a 72.7 completion percentage. In 2024, he played against SMU at the end of December and completed one of two passes for nine yards. Grunkemeyer also threw an interception.
Drew Allar ruled out for remainder of season following in-game lower leg injury
While Allar was inconsistent, Penn State knew what it was getting with him. The senior was, at the very least, somewhat reliable and had confidence in his team. Earlier in Week 7, Allar's dedication to his team and its goals were clear. He spent all day at the Lasch Building, doing his schoolwork at the facilities, and made his entire final year in Happy Valley revolved around the Nittany Lions getting to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Allar finished his senior campaign six games in with a 65.3 completion percentage. He completed 103 of 159 pass attempts for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions. He had an additional 36 carries for 172 yards and one rushing touchdown.
In his Penn State career, Allar completed 633 of 1,002 passes for a 62.5 completion percentage and 7,402 yards. He threw for 61 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 736 yards and 12 touchdowns on 224 carries.