2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Penn State’s Drew Allar

The 2026 NFL Draft will feature a very deep quarterback class, reminiscent of 2024, when Caleb Williams led a crop of signal callers that featured Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix. Next year’s group may be just as talented, and Penn State’s Drew Allar plans to make his case to be one of the first quarterbacks to come off the board. 

Allar is the quintessential pro-style quarterback, standing 6’5” and weighing around 240 pounds. He brings with him a strong pocket presence and refined throwing mechanics that teams covet, projecting him as one of next year’s elite prospects. 

Questions remain, however, if Allar can win the big games, but his track record and consistency speak for themselves. During his time in State College, he’s proven that he can protect the ball and has an understanding and command of a complicated Nittany Lion offense that scouts will like when they watch film. And as many scouts will admit, Allar has gotten better every year since taking over for Sean Clifford in 2023. He’s patient in the pocket, makes the right reads, and goes through his progressions like a pro quarterback needs to. 

Strengths

Allar’s arm strength is elite or near-elite. He drives the ball when he throws and can place passes where only his receivers can get them. His size will remind Steeler fans of a young Ben Roethlisberger, giving him the ability to shrug off unsure tacklers and extend plays. But don’t sleep on his legs either. Allar isn’t the prototypical dual-threat quarterback, but he can scramble and make plays with his feet when necessary. 

Weaknesses

Allar does have room for improvement. While his throwing motion is smooth, his footwork will need to improve. When watching him on film, scouts will see that he makes bad throws because of this flaw. And, as many collegiate-level athletes do, he often relies on his arm strength to power the ball into his targets. With a little more patience and some work on throwing with more touch over just throwing fastballs, Allar should mature into a quality starting quarterback in the NFL. 

Lastly, Allar is often criticized for not “winning” the big games. In the ultimate team sport, it’s hard to pin this on him and him alone, but scouts and coaches will want to see a signature win or two this season and will wonder if he’s talented enough to take over a game, which elite NFL quarterbacks must do. 

Conclusion

Allar’s upside will be very attractive to teams next April. With some work with the right coaches and trainers and perhaps finding his way into the right offensive scheme, he can become a quality starter in the league. He has the ceiling to be a team’s franchise quarterback, with all the physical gifts necessary to get there. Expect him to be a surefire top ten pick in next year’s draft.