Penn State's Drew Allar Is a 'Must-Watch' QB for NFL Executives, Scout Says

Eric Galko of the East-West Shrine Bowl says Allar could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar goes through warmups prior to the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Allar, No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft? One pretty connected scout of college football suggests that the Penn State quarterback could get there.

Eric Galko, director of football operations and player personnel for the East-West Shrine Game, dissected Allar's potential in a post on X (formerly Twitter). There, Galko called Allar "a real contender to be the first overall pick if he hits the ceiling he’s flashed in college so far."

High praise, and standard-setting indeed, but Galko defended his assertion. He referred to Allar's success rate in turnover prevention last season, when Allar threw just two interceptions, and pushed back against the conventional wisdom that Allar primarily made short-range throws. Galko also said that Allar has shown the ability to improvise, can run and has the "guts + timing" to throw into tight spaces.

"Allar’s combo of high ceiling and NFL readiness will make him one of the must-watch quarterbacks for scouts and executives early in the 2024 season," Galko concluded.

.@PennStateFball’s Drew Allar has only started to receive the hype he deserves not only a top quarterback prospect, but a real contender to be the first overall pick if he hits the ceiling he’s flashed in college so far.@AllarDrew is an awesome blend of super high upside as a… pic.twitter.com/fiiZGQjDLm

— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) June 17, 2024

The perception of Allar appears to be circling back to the expectations that surrounded him as a freshman at Penn State as well as a first-year starter in 2023. Now a junior, Allar is shedding some of the limitations placed on him last season. He also has an offensive coordinator eager to mold those traits into a first-round pick.

Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State's first-year coordinator, recently explained how Allar fits his coaching style and system, both on the field and off it.

"Having a true hunger and willingness to want to improve and do everything right and do everything to maximize his college football experience, Drew embodies that," Kotelnicki said. "It's not like that for every kid. I've coached long enough now that I can say that with with quite a bit of knowledge. So first of all, he's got an insatiable hunger.

"... Obviously, he's a great thrower. He's got a tremendous arm. His his ability to see a scene and react to it is really pretty special. So he has the ability to make really quick decisions and the right decision."

Meanwhile, Penn State strength coach Chuck Losey said Allar is developing more "movement qualities" as he works into a new offense under Kotelnicki.

"You saw it during the spring: He's moving around a lot more," Losey said. "He's going to have to be able to do that in the game, too. It's not that we're going to ask him to do that all the time, that’s up to Coach K, but with any of our guys we need them to be superior athletes. Movement has always been an area for Drew, when you look at our history and the types of guys we’ve had back there, we’ve always had some really good movement guys back there and that’s always something that we’ve been trying to improve on with Drew."

Penn State and Allar showcase their new offense for the first time Aug. 31 at West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

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AllPennState 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 Twitter @MarkWogenrich.