Penn State football quarterback Drew Allar's excitement for the upcoming 2025 season circles around more than just his one percent improvements practice after practice. It stems from the confidence he has in his team and the confidence his teammates and coaches have in him.
Each practice Allar sets a small, one percent goal for himself. Whether it's footwork, hitting a target, or perfecting a rep, it's the small steps day-by-day that's already separated him from his 2024 season self.
"I've made tremendous strides already from last season to this season. I'm looking forward to showcasing the things that I've been working on this offseason," Allar said to Josh Pate one-on-one Tuesday evening.
The improvements wouldn't be there without his teammates, though. The wide receiver room, especially, has been beneficial to Allar's growth in the offseason. He said that whenever high school recruits or transfers visit, particularly those on the offensive side of the ball, he makes sure he's there whenever possible. Now entering his senior season, the Nittany Lion has the pieces he needs to make those plays when they matter most.
Throughout the offseason and fall camp, Allar's worked on getting the ball to his wide receivers more often and trusting that they'll get up there and contest for the catch. Watching them make those receptions rep after rep developed a stronger chemistry between him and his receivers on the perimeter.
"They're an unselfish group and they've gotten better every day and so have I," Allar said of the upgraded wide receiver room.
The additions of Trebor Pena, Kyron Hudson, and Devonte Ross also give Allar more opportunities to work on his completion percentage. The 66.5 percentage he finished with last season is something he and head coach James Franklin both knew needed to improve. On top of that, Allar's focused on being more intentional with his footwork to help with that bigger goal in mind.
"One of the reasons I came back in because there was a lot of areas I wanted to improve on and I thought I needed to improve on," Allar said. ". . . One of those being just consistent footwork . . . I wasn't very focused or intentional about it throughout the season last year and there [were] a couple times last year where it caused me to be in [non-optimal] situations throwing the ball and I would have to make up [for] it with my arm."
Drew Allar says he wants to be the driving force of the Penn State offense in 2025
The rising senior said he has always been hard on himself. Allar said that the way he played in the backhalf of the 2024 season is the level he should be competing at consistently. Even though he mentioned there are some throws he wishes he could take back, the feeling he had playing at that high level is something he strides for every day.
"You have to have complete ownership of it . . . being self-reflective and [honest with] your performance, good or bad or indifferent. I take that to heart and I want to be my most critical judge . . . I think I've learned how to balance that. And honestly, I've always been very hard on myself because I know the type of talent I have and I want to get every ounce out of myself that I can."
Allar told his coaches that he wants to lead the ship in 2025. As a third-year starter, he knows Franklin and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki trust and have confidence in him.
As all the small steps build up with the season right around the corner, the third year starting quarterback is ready to make the plays that matter with the help of a talented supporting offensive cast.
"I want to be the guy that's stirring the pot on the offense essentially and being the catalyst for us because I know not every game we're going to need to throw 50 times . . . to go out and win," Allar said. ". . . I have their confidence and I know I have the confidence in myself and [in] the receivers and the playmakers. We have that when we need to throw the ball on a third-and-seven . . . we have the the receivers to go win one-on-one matchups and I'm going to give them a chance to go make a play and come down with that."