Penn State's Beau Pribula to Enter Transfer Portal 'With a Heavy Heart'

The quarterback, who played a significant role in the Nittany Lions' offense, will not be with the team for the playoffs.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula runs with the football against the Purdue Boilermakers. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula, who played a significant role in the Nittany Lions' offense this season, announced Sunday night that he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal "with a heavy heart." Further, the backup quarterback will not be with the program when the Nittany Lions host a first-round College Football Playoff game Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

"The current NCAA post-season model creates a challenge for student-athletes," Pribula said in a social media post. "The overlapping CFP playoff & transfer portal timeline has forced me into an impossible decision. After speaking at length with my family and coaches, it is with a heavy heart that I announce my intentions to enter the transfer portal and depart from the team to explore opportunities elsewhere."

pic.twitter.com/3BYi7jtG2m

— Beau Pribula (@beauprib) December 16, 2024

Pribula's decision, six days before the Nittany Lions host SMU in a first-round playoff game at Beaver Stadium, is the most important so far for Penn State during portal season, not only for the playoffs but also for the 2025 season. His name was removed from Penn State's roster Sunday night. The quarterback has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Pribula played in every game for the Nittany Lions this season, including in a key spot against Wisconsin. With starting quarterback Drew Allar unable to play in the second half, Pribula led two touchdown drives in his most significant action of the season, as Penn State topped the Badgers 28-13 to remain unbeaten. Pribula went 11-for-13, completing 10 consecutive passes at one point, and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Khalil Dinkins.

Pribula has completed 26 of 35 passes for for 275 yards and five touchdowns this season. He also rushed for 242 yards and four scores. Pribula ranked fourth on the team in rushing and played a role in nine touchdowns.

What Pribula's decision means for Penn State's 2024 playoff run

Pribula is entering the portal immediately to enroll at a new school in January. As Pribula alluded to in his statement, the NCAA Transfer Portal's first window runs from Dec. 9-28. NCAA rules allow for a five-day January window in which players competing in the playoff can enter the portal after their final game.

However, players entering the portal in this timeframe seek to enroll at their new schools in January. That's especially important for quarterbacks. Those who don't must wait until April, thus missing preseason workouts and spring practice with their new teams. Pribula is entering the portal now to get a head start on his next offense.

As a result, true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer would become Penn State's No. 2 quarterback for the remainder of this season. Grunkemeyer has not played this season. Penn State coach James Franklin has praised the quarterback's development but suggested that getting him reps has been difficult this season.

"Beau needs and deserves as many reps that he can get," Franklin said before Penn State played Minnesota in November. "He's been an unbelievable teammate. He's been a huge part of our offense and our system, and just like we saw a few weeks back [at Wisconsin] was able to go in there and win a game for us. That development is critical. The other thing is ... [Grunkemeyer] is getting pretty much live scrimmage work, about 24 reps every Sunday. Some days are total live, the quarterback included. More days than not, it's live except for the quarterback. But he's getting a ton of those
reps that Beau never gets."

Without Pribula, Penn State loses a significant component of its offense. Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has deployed Pribula in short-yardage and red-zone situations as a changeup and tempo quarterback. He has run option plays, thrown out of those sets and been and generated first downs with the run. Penn State will have to reshape that part of its offense for the playoffs without Pribula.

What Pribula's departure means for 2025

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has one season of eligibility remaining. Though Allar has not discussed his plans yet, if Pribula is opting to transfer now, that raises the potential for Allar to return to Penn State in 2025. Scouts are mixed on Allar's NFL future. ESPN's Scouts Inc. ranks Allar as the No. 7 quarterback in the draft and the No. 86 prospect overall. According to Ric Serritella's All-Access Football, Allar is the No. 119 prospect of the 2025 draft cycle. With another season, Allar could improve his draft grade while taking one more shot at Ohio State, to which he has lost twice as Penn State's starting quarterback.

The end of an era at Penn State

Pribula, who went to Pennsylvania's Central York High, famously has been a lifelong Penn State fan, demonstrating loyalty to the program and playing an important role in the offense. But he also wants to start and will be a popular target among portal quarterbacks.

"Growing up in Pennsylvania, it has always been a dream of mine to play football for Penn State," Pribula said in a statement. "Wearing the blue & white these last 3 years has brought me some of the greatest moments of my life. ... I want to thank the coaches, my teammates, the fanbase, and everyone else who has supported me along this journey. For the rest of my life, I stand proud as a Penn State graduate and letterman."

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