How Penn State's Drew Allar Transformed Himself in Andy Kotelnicki's Offense

The Nittany Lions quarterback has developed a "mastery" of his coordinator's dynamic offense.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar calls a play in the second half against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On 4th-and-10 late against USC, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar found himself squarely in a defender's sights. After the game, Allar said he wasn't sure whether he would have eluded that particular pass rush last season. This time, Allar dodged it to find Julian Fleming for the second of two fourth-down conversions on the drive. It represented Allar's alpha moment this season, one that underscored how far he has advanced. Or, more specificially, how far Allar has brought himself.

"It wasn't perfect," Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said of the team's game-tying drive. "And we had to kind of scratch a claw and fight our way to find success. That last drive was a big-time drive, and he showed up, made some big-time plays there and was keeping the ball alive."

During its 6-0 start, Penn State has produced some whiz-bang offensive fun, explosive plays, a physical run game and a tight end playing five different positions. At its offensive core, however, is Allar, the second-year starting quarterback who less-than-quietly has become its engine. Under coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State has installed an offense with more moving parts than in any of James Franklin's season. Tight end Tyler Warren's snap-to-catch touchdown that kickstarted the Nittany Lions' 33-30 overtime win at USC merely was the latest page from Kotelnicki's mad-scientist playbook. Allar loves all of it and is producing in it as well.

Through six games, Allar ranks seventh nationally in passer rating (175.77), 10th in completion rate (70.5 percent) and 22nd in touchdown percentage (7.5 percent). His numbers across the board are higher, including, of course, interceptions. Allar has thrown five this season, three at USC. But each has calloused him well, building Allar's confidence as the risk-reward quarterback he wasn't allowed to be in 2023.

For instance, Allar capped that fourth-quarter series (probably his best at Penn State) with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Singleton with 2:53 remaining. Kotelnicki said that Allar threw an interception on the same play earlier in the game.

"He wasn't sitting in sulking when we did throw an interception," Kotelnicki said. "He was evaluating what he's going to do next time that situation comes up."

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Kotelnicki's offense requires a quarterback to direct a lot of traffic. Allar not only identifies defender locations and formations but gets his own players lined properly and motioned at the right time. It requires pre-snap patience and command, something a big arm doesn't always foreshadow. Last year, Allar was asked primarily to protect the football. But this season, Kotelnicki has Allar turning defenses inside out before he even throws the ball.

"I would definitely say his understanding and mastery of what's going on is at a really high level," Kotelnicki said. "He knows what it's supposed to look like, right? When he breaks the huddle, he rehearses those things over and over again. I'm sure he's referenced before in the past about the way he goes through the call sheets and the way he goes through calls and rehearsing them in his head. You know, his preparation because he knows when he's calling a play. He knows what it's going to look like when he breaks [the huddle]. So if it's not right, he knows exactly what to do to get fixed."

For Kotelnicki, that's where Allar has been at his best this season.

"Who you are really gets revealed when things aren't right," the offensive coordinator said. "And so, if we break a huddle, and some guy's on the wrong side, it's how he responds as you fix it, you know? I mean, that's what we want. That's what we're looking for from our quarterbacks.

"... He's all about improvement and being the best version of himself, and that shows up in [big] moments."

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.