Riley: Drew Allar should enter the 2025 NFL Draft
The Penn State junior announced he intends to return to school, but his recent stretch of games has been catching the eyes of NFL scouts.
Each day we inch closer to the 2025 NFL Draft, the discourse surrounding the quarterback class, headlined by Cam Ward (Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), is diminishing. Those two are widely regarded as the draft’s top two signal callers. After that, it’s murky waters.
Penn State’s Drew Allar could provide some clarity to an enigmatic class if he were to declare.
I have been advocating for Allar's return to school all season long. It seemed to be the best thing for his development, and it still may be.
But I’ve changed my stance.
Since Penn State’s loss to Ohio State, Allar has looked more pro-ready than ever, albeit still raw. Contradicting, yes, but the two can exist simultaneously. His passing looks refined, and he seems more comfortable playing the position against the nation’s top programs. His composure has improved immensely. Those were all quite evident in his most recent performance, where the junior tossed 171 yards and three touchdowns in Penn State’s 31-14 victory over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback traits the NFL drool over were on full display in his dominant outing: size (6-foot-5, 236 pounds), strong arm, and touch.
Allar’s first touchdown of the game to standout TE Tyler Warren was sheer beauty.
He comes with weaknesses, though, like all the quarterbacks in this class. His anticipation, processing, and decision-making need improvement. But his size and arm strength are unteachable traits. Rare qualities, in fact. He reminds me of Josh Allen coming out of college — very raw but has the makings of an above-average starter.
Now, look at Allen. He’s taken the NFL by storm.
Despite announcing his intention to return to Penn State in 2025, NFL teams are preparing for Allar to change his mind. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler posted this to social media: “There are several NFL GMs who believe Allar could enter the 2025 NFL Draft with a strong playoff run. Teams are still heavily scouting him for the 2025 class.”
Atop of the draft are three QB-needy teams back-to-back-to-back: the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants; that order is set in stone. Other QB-needy teams within the top 10 are Las Vegas, NYJ, and New Orleans.
As mentioned above, QB3 in this class is unbeknownst. A team won’t reach on a quarterback just because it’s a need — even if it is a catastrophic one, in those teams’ cases — but there is a belief teams value Allar similarly to Ward and Sanders, who are projected top-three picks.
“Spoke with a front office source regarding Penn State QB Drew Allar and he said Allar is a guy that the thinks much more highly of than fans and the media do. Scouts rave about his size, arm, and ability to ‘manipulate the pocket,’” stated a report from uStadium.
Allar is nowhere near the perfect prospect, hence his decision to return. But his garnering attention, even after announcing his decision, speaks volumes. He could catapult his stock even more with an impressive offseason, during which scouts can get an on-field, up-close look during the senior bowl, his pro day, and the combine.
Allar’s situation is reminiscent of Cardale Jones’. Jones, having only started three games in three seasons at Ohio State, forewent entering the 2015 NFL Draft to return for his senior season despite being a prospect multiple teams coveted.
"Maybe he would have gone in the second round," a source told foxsports.com back in 2015, “but I think it’s just as likely he could have gone in the top 10 or 15. Look at that body (6-foot-5, 250 pounds), that arm — and look at his competition (in the draft).
Jones struggled the next season and was drafted in the fourth round, pick 139, of the 2016 NFL Draft.
It was roughly a $4 million gamble that didn’t pay off.
Ten years later, Allar is faced with a similar decision.
If he decides to come out with the 2026 class, he finds himself in a highly-regarded class consisting of:
Arch Manning, Texas
Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
Lanorris Sellers, South Carolina
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Jalon Daniels, Kansas
The ‘26 class projects to be much better than this year’s. That could hurt Allar’s stock with a substandard season.
He has a chance to separate himself in this year’s class, especially with a good performance against a formidable Notre Dame defense, which ranks first in the country in pass efficiency and completion percentage, in the Orange Bowl.
Allar could likely go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft if he decides to declare.