STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Drew Allar and Andy Kotelnicki have developed quite the quarterback-coach tandem in their 18 months together.
Their partnership has grown to the point where Kotelnicki, Penn State’s second-year offensive coordinator, let Allar plan out most of what the No. 2 Nittany Lions would drill during their final training camp practices last week.
The fast-talking Kotelnicki and head coach James Franklin have been impressed. They’ve seen enough to know Allar’s improved command of the offense will give the Nittany Lions a shot at another deep run in the College Football Playoff.
That’s really where their rocket-armed quarterback has made his biggest strides since the Nittany Lions came up a drive short of potentially playing for last season’s national championship.
“Him being involved in that process (is) because he’s mature, because he’s got experience, because his football acumen allows that to happen,” Kotelnicki said. “He doesn’t need to be told what to do and think. He needs to be involved in the thinking process, and it has very, very much been that way.”
Allar, who’s thrown for 6,302 yards, 53 touchdowns and helped Penn State win a program-best 34 games over three years, returned to Happy Valley to chase what would be the program’s first national championship since 1986.
But he also came back to learn and hone his craft as a quarterback, even as NFL teams beckoned.
Allar saw another year with Kotelnicki and his ability to explain the why behind each concept within each play was the best way to do that. Kotelnicki’s process is much different than that of former coordinator Mike Yurcich, who helmed the offense when Allar arrived as a freshman in 2022.
Understanding the why has given Allar more access to checks and more control of the offense from the line of scrimmage.
As Kotelnicki puts it, every offensive coordinator likes to think they have a way to break every defense. In this system, a quarterback’s ability to quickly process and adapt to shifting defenders can be the difference between ho-hum and a game-breaking play.
“We’re putting a ton on his plate,” Franklin said. “I think his greatest superpower is just how football smart he is.”
Smart enough to know that his penultimate throw last season — intercepted by Notre Dame to all but seal Penn State’s loss in the Orange Bowl — should’ve been a throwaway as soon as he threw it.
It was a rare mistake for a quarterback who began his career with 311 attempts before throwing his first interception — and just nine since then.
Allar has long since shaken it off.
“For me, I’ve always known when I’ve made progress because I’m not thinking about it anymore,” Allar said. “I just go out and play, and it happens because of how much I’ve repped it.”
He’s also been buoyed by the returning talent around him. That includes a veteran offensive line, a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who are each within striking distance of the program’s career rushing record, and a prospective top-10 defense led by first-year coordinator Jim Knowles, who helped Ohio State win the national championship last season in the same role.
Allar’s grasp of the offense has also come in handy as he’s mentored a handful of new receivers Penn State needs to produce after star tight end Tyler Warren left for the NFL and the team’s next two leading targets left for other programs.
Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross transferred from USC and Troy, respectively, while former Syracuse receiver Trebor Peñ
Kotelnicki and Franklin have particularly enjoyed watching their veteran quarterback use all of his knowledge to fast-track the newcomers and build chemistry quickly.
Those are the subtle, behind-the-scenes improvements Allar’s coaches can see that the rest of the country might not be able to account for until the Nittany Lions are truly tested.
“Not everyone knows what’s involved in the decision making, and then the total mechanics of the offense,” Kotelnicki said. “I think he can improve a lot.”
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