Ole Miss Rebels Peach Bowl Preview: Facing Penn State QB Drew Allar

The Ole Miss Rebels will face quarterback Drew Allar in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30

The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions are in the midst of game prep for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and part of that preparation involves scouting.

The Rebels and Nittany Lions have never faced one another on the gridiron, so many Ole Miss fans may be unfamiliar with the Penn State program under James Franklin. It never hurts to familiarize yourself with the next opponent on the schedule, so why not start now?

That's where The Grove Report comes in. Over the next few days, we will dive in to the Nittany Lions on a position-by-position basis, giving you a look at what Penn State is expected to field on that Saturday in Atlanta. This is a New Year's Six bowl game after all, so the stakes are rather high.

Today, we begin this series by taking a look at Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) prepares to air out a pass to the end zone during an NCAA football game against Rutgers Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions won, 27-6 :: © Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Drew Allar (Sophomore)

High School: Medina (Ohio)

Height: 6-5

Weight: 242

2023 Passing Stats: 214-for-350, 2,336 yards, 23 touchdowns, one interception

2023 Rushing Stats: 69 carries, 170 yards, four touchdowns

In an offense that puts up 37.17 PPG, Allar has been an efficient signal caller in 2023, only throwing one pick after starting all 12 regular season games. His biggest performances of the season came against the West Virginia Mountaineers (325 passing yards, three TDs) and the Maryland Terrapins (240 passing yards, four TDs). 

He was a highly-sought-after prospect out of high school, putting up a five-star industry rating as a recruit. He signed with Penn State out of the 2022 class, and he was the No. 3 quarterback in that cycle, according to On3. 

Rebels vs. Nittany Lions Peach Bowl Named Top-5 Matchup of Postseason

In Penn State's two losses this season (Ohio State and Michigan), Allar did not put up the same type of numbers as those seen against other opponents. Against Michigan, he threw for just 70 yards and a score, and he saw 191 passing yards against Ohio State and one touchdown as well.

---

Kickoff between Ole Miss and Penn State on Dec. 30 is set for 11 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.