How Penn State Could Deploy Beau Pribula for the Season's Stretch Run

The Nittany Lions quarterback could play a larger role in the season's final three games.

Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula pump fakes before keeping the ball on the ground during an NCAA football game against Ohio State. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At this point in Penn State football’s 2024 season, Beau Pribula has proven he‘s much more than the Nittany Lions’ QB2. He’s a multi-talented weapon at offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s disposal and a player who any defense, at the very least, needs to identify. And perhaps most importantly, he’s as reliable a backup plan to Drew Allar as Penn State could have. 

Opportunity continues to knock for Pribula, who has thrown for 209 yards and three touchdowns and run for 141 yards and two more. As the Nittany Lions conclude the regular season with three favorable matchups against teams with a combined 11-17 record, the redshirt sophomore could see more playing time, beginning Saturday at Purdue.  

Offense rediscovers its stride vs. Washington

After not scoring an offensive touchdown against Ohio State, the Nittany Lions needed a bounceback game against Washington. They undoubtedly got one, outgaining the Huskies 486-193 while coasting to a 35-6 victory after a huge performance in the opening two quarters.

“I don't think we really knew how good we were doing in the moment. I think at halftime, we kind of regrouped, and we were 4-4 [on offensive drives] with 28 points,” Pribula said. “It's really just something that, when you're in a rhythm, you're just kind of in that flow state, and that's definitely how we were in the first half on Saturday.”

Compared to some of Penn State’s other games, Pribula’s impact wasn’t as significant against Washington. But he did make the most of his only carry,  sprinting to the outside and lowering his shoulder into the end zone for the Nittany Lions’ first touchdown.

Through the 2024 season, Pribula’s confidence has grown, as he owns one of the most unique backup quarterback roles in the country. Pribula has played the entire half as Penn State’s quarterback after taking over for an injured Drew Allar vs. Wisconsin. Pribula led the Nittany Lions on two second-half touchdown drives in a 28-13 win, a significant experience that benefitted both Penn State and Pribula. 

“[The Wisconsin game)] did a lot. I think anytime I get meaningful playing time, it just helps me gain experience, and especially in a hostile environment like that on the road,” Pribula said. “That was definitely big for my confidence.”

Upcoming opportunities for depth, young talent to get involved

Penn State’s toughest 2024 opponents — Illinois, USC, Ohio State and Washington among them — are in the past, and a Nov. 23 road game at Minnesota looms as the most difficult game remaining. The Nittany Lions don’t have much room to improve their College Football Playoff resume without another ranked matchup.

However, assuming things go to plan through the next three weeks, coach James Franklin’s team does have the potential luxury of limiting the starters’ snaps and playing some backups. That means preserving starters for a playoff run while offering increased opportunities for young talent against Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland. Approaching this week’s matchup against the Boilermakers (1-8), Franklin suggested that some of his young players could be more involved soon. 

“We now should be at this stage, a lot of these guys will be able to play and still be able to keep their redshirt,” Franklin said. “What I'm very sensitive to is … once you're going to play a guy, there's got to be a commitment throughout the program — on special teams with the coordinators and the position coach — that the kid and the parents feel at the end of the year it was worthwhile, it was in everybody's best interests.”

Pribula certainly doesn’t fall in that redshirt group, but these games represent prime opportunities for the quarterback to get more full-time reps. Elsewhere in the offense, among the players Franklin mentioned as candidates to see more playing time were freshman running back Corey Smith, who’s coming off of a 95-yard performance vs. Washington, and freshman wide receiver Tyseer Denmark, who hasn’t played in 2024.

“Corey, he's probably one of the [fastest] developed guys I've seen since I've been here,” Pribula said of Smith. “He's going to be a really talented guy, and I've seen that each week in practice as he’s continued to get better. So it's exciting for him and for the whole team to see that his development has translated to the playing field on Saturday.”

As for Denmark, who could be a significant piece in Penn State’s 2025 wide receiver room, Pribula also has high expectations.

“He's an extremely talented guy, and he's committed to the game. He's another one of those guys that loves football. He's a program guy, he's a good dude, and his talent is going to take him far, but also his love for the game is going to take him really far,” Pribula said. “I'm excited, hopefully, for him to get some more game action.”

Wins over the next three weeks remain essential for Penn State’s playoff chances. But based on how they have fared against unranked teams in recent seasons, there’s little doubt that the Nittany Lions will take care of business. Franklin, though, isn’t underestimating any of his remaining conference opponents.

“This is not your grandfather's Big Ten. This is not your father's Big Ten,” Franklin said. “You're not going to have these lopsided games that you've had in the past. It's going to be more like the NFL where a lot of these games are one-possession games … I think we are positioned fairly well right now because we've been very, very strategic.”

More Penn State Football

What James Franklin said ahead of Penn State's trip to Purdue

Final thought about Penn State's win over Washington

The Penn State football report card: Washington edition

Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.