Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula will be a weapon in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense

When you talk about the weapons at Andy Kotelnicki and Drew Allar’s disposal on the 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions, the conversation immediately turns to the rather disposable group of wide receivers. It was a problem that plagued the mediocre passing game last season and the addition of Julian Fleming in the transfer portal even with a new OC hasn’t done enough to quell those recurrent concerns. 

Beyond the issues at wide receiver, however, Penn State is very well positioned on that side of the ball. The Nittany Lions have an elite tight end in Tyler Warren who was second on the team in catches last year with 34 for 422 yards and seven touchdowns, along with a true freshman tight end in Luke Reynolds who could emerge as a contributor. Then, you get to the backfield where Penn State’s former five-star quarterback is flanked by two running backs from the same recruiting class, the Lawn Boyz. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are arguably the best duo in the country. 

A great tight end, a lethal running back duo, a questionable wide receiver group, and a former five-star quarterback who produced mixed results as a sophomore starter, might not be enough for Kotelnicki to produce one of the Big Ten’s elite offenses, a unit capable of holding serve against Ohio State or even Oregon in a conference title game. However, the innovative new offense that the former Kansas offensive coordinator brought to Happy Valley this offseason, may fully unlock Penn State’s secret weapon, backup quarterback Beau Pribula, who may help close the gap.

 A loud, and at times insufferable portion of the Penn State fan base I affectionately refer to as the “Beau-hive” has been calling for Pribula to rip the starting job away from Allar and for James Franklin to effectively throw in the towel on the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class for a slightly undersized three-star from the same class with just 27 career dropbacks. Though, when you watch plays like this, it’s hard not to understand the temptation. 

Pribula’s athleticism provided Penn State with a dynamism and unpredictability that it desperately needed last season, but only in spurts. He took just 109 snaps, yet produced 149 yards and four touchdowns on 11/21 passing with 56 carries for 329 yards and six touchdowns. 

He was instant offense on meticulously crafted gadget plays, often with two quarterbacks on the field, and he was prolific in mop-up duty, one of the biggest reasons that Penn State turned into a gambler's dream last season, covering the spread in nine of 11 games when favored. Yet, it’s entirely unclear how his sudden burst of explosiveness would translate to the down-to-down consistency and slow burn of a full college football season. Frankly, there’s a chance we never find out. 

Allar is Penn State’s quarterback, he was just named a team captain for the first time and will not be unseated as the starter, and for good reason. For all his flaws, and lack of aggressiveness as a sophomore, he still produced 25 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and even with 368 more attempts, averaged 6.8 yards per attempt to Pribula’s 7.1. Even Pribula’s depth of target is just 5.1 yards downfield. There’s just nothing in his limited sample that suggests an every-week starter. 

Likely the only chance Pribula ever has to get that chance at Penn State, is simply outlasting Allar, who could be heading for the NFL after this season or more likely after next, while Pribula still has three more years of eligibility after redshirting in 2022. For now, he’s the gadget quarterback and the primary backup, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a useful weapon for Kotelnicki. The first-year Penn State OC said so himself. 

“What another great weapon,” Kotelnicki told reporters back in June, “When you have a guy like that, whatever we have to do to get our best players on the field and put stress on the defense and that allows to execute and go score touchdowns and win football games, we're going to do it.” 

Getting the ball into the hands of players like Pribula is one of the biggest reasons that Franklin gave Kotelnicki the job in the first place. 

Coming out of spring practices, Franklin said, “[What] was challenging and problematic the last couple years was the emphasis of getting the ball into your best players' hands. We've got to be able to do that as a play-caller, and that was a big part of the interview process with Andy."

Penn State finished last season with just 13 passing plays over 30 yards and despite completing only 11 passes, Pribula was responsible for two of those. On the ground, PFF classifies a breakaway run as over 15+ yards and Pribula added six of Penn State’s 30, producing a “breakaway” on 42% of his carries. 

That’s all in his first year on the field with Mike Yurcich drawing up the plays. Pribula feels even better in Year 3 on campus and with Kotelnicki in charge. 

“I’d say this is the best year I’ve had,” Pribula told reporters amidst his third fall camp, “I’m feeling the most comfortable I’ve ever felt. I feel really good in this offense and I feel like I’m in a really good position.”

That position may not be the starting quarterback for Penn State, and the Beau-hive may never get their wish, but they will see Pribula on the field more and more as a true Swiss Army Knife and offensive weapon in 2024.