Beau Pribula, Penn State's 'Smooth Operator,' Makes His Debut

James Franklin has compared Pribula to Trace McSorley. 'He's going to help us this year,' Franklin said of Pribula.

For all the hype Drew Allar deservedly received on his path to becoming Penn State’s starting quarterback, he’s not the only highly intriguing member of James Franklin’s quarterback room. His backup, redshirt freshman Beau Pribula, is a name to know in this year’s Penn State offense. Pribula did well enough in the offseason to keep Franklin from outwardly naming Allar the starter. And his size and mobility offer a different aspect at the quarterback spot than what Allar provides.

The York, Pennsylvania, product saw his first Penn State game action in the fourth quarter of the Lions' 38-15 win over West Virginia. He didn’t flash in the same way Allar did but put together a scoring drive with Penn State’s second unit against the Mountaineers’ first team. Pribula completed his only pass attempt for seven yards, a fourth-down play he checked at the line correctly, according to Franklin. He also showed the extra wrinkle he can bring with three rushes for 18 yards. The last attempt went for a 5-yard touchdown in which he weaved through defenders and fought his way into the end zone.

"I think you guys got a chance to see tonight, and really our coaching staff got to see tonight, what I anticipated we'd see from Beau," Franklin said after the game Saturday night. "Beau has a lot of traits that aren't going to show up in a traditional practice. When I went to watch him play in high school, it was one of the more impressive things to watch."

Franklin added that what Pribula does is "going to help us this year." What could that mean? It's not hard not recall the Tommy Stevens and Will Levis days, when Penn State used backup quarterbacks with good mobility in special run packages or trick plays. Or maybe it's something more creative that offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich hasn't shown yet.

"There's a different game plan each week, and whatever coach Yurcich and coach Franklin decide to use me, I'm willing to do that," Pribula said Tuesday. "Whatever I can do to help the team win, really."

Not being much of a talker is one of the traits Franklin cited in comparing Pribula to former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley.  Pribula, a lifelong Penn State fan who in middle school watched every game McSorley played, loved the comparison. The quarterbacks play with similar styles, wear the same jersey number (9) and even "look alike," Pribula said.

"Both of them had significant impacts at their high schools in terms of winning and having really productive high school careers," Franklin said. "I think they also both have really high football IQs, and the game makes sense to them. ... Beau [6-2, 205 pounds] is obviously a little bit bigger, but I would say style of play and guys who have the ability to beat you with decision-making as well as their legs."

Pribula was an overlooked piece of the 2022 Penn State recruiting class outside of Pennsylvania but was a highly productive player in-state. He was a two-time state player of the year at Central York High, throwing for 34 touchdowns and two perfect games as a senior and leading the team to its first appearance in the PIAA Class 6A title game. Yet Pribula remains somewhat of a hidden gem, at least outside the program.

"He was a really smooth operator out there; got us into some good checks, did a good job of managing the clock," Allar said. "It's really cool to see him go out there and play just because of all the hard work he puts in."

Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula poses with family members after the Nittany Lions' opening-night win over West Virginia. Pribula made his Penn State debut in the game :: Dan Rainville/USA Today Sports

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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.

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