Drama in PSU backup QB battle increases following Franklin's press conference

For Penn State, most positions across the offense and defense have their starting roles already locked down for the season by experienced stars. Now, the battle for backup position begin. Once the experienced veterans finishing their last season of college eligibility move on, these backups will have to step up and reload the Nittany Lion team in 2026.

One such battle is emerging behind the third-year starting quarterback Drew Allar, who starred in his season opener, as backups Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik compete for playing time this year.

This battle has been brewing for some time, yet the stakes have only recently escalated. When Allar forwent last year's NFL Draft to stay at Happy Valley, it marked the 2025 season as his last for the blue and white. Grunkemeyer and Smolik will see more reps of the field, especially in the last two weeks of non-conference play, for head coach James Franklin to determine who will succeed Allar. Both had the upper hand in the competition for QB2 at different points in time, but one put himself in a position on Saturday to log more time in 2025.

Now, after the Nevada win, it's clear the momentum has swung once again, this time in Grunkemeyer's favor.

The redshirt freshman went seven for nine for 86 yards, with his longest throw being 26 yards. This was the second-longest reception of the game.

Grunkemeyer notched a 158 passer rating after this game, a performance that, if he were eligible, would have been a top-10 figure in the Big Ten.

Such a strong outing stuck out to Franklin, who had many strong words for the passing game in general.

"The thing I probably love the most is how quickly [Grunkemeyer] and [Allar] found outlets and got rid of the ball," Franklin said.

It wasn't just the ability that surprised Franklin, but also how it was displayed in a game setting.

"I was very impressed with [Grunkemeyer] and his performance . . . I actually thought he played in the game better than he's practiced at times, in terms of, he wasn't holding on to the ball," Franklin said. "He was decisive when he did get pressure, he was able to step up in the pocket and find outlets quickly, and get the ball out of his hands."

While Allar won't lose his starting job, fans can expect Grunkemeyer to receive more opportunities if the situation allows. Franklin hinted that he will approach the next matchup against FIU with exactly that mentality.

"Hopefully we'll be able to get him more time this week[end] and hopefully all season long."

As for Smolik, he'd only appeared once against Nevada during a two-point conversion attempt that went up in flames.

While it was a questionable play call, with Smolik lined up under one lineman, it was a play that frustrated Franklin, who took accountability for the coaching mishap. Despite these factors, it is undoubtedly a mentally challenging moment for Smolik as he continues to fight for playing time.