Penn State starting quarterback Drew Allar left Saturday's game against Northwestern, and backup Ethan Grunkemeyer came in for him.
Although Allar has remained relatively healthy in his three years as a starter, he did miss the second half of Penn State's game against Wisconsin last season.
He left Saturday's game against Northwestern with an apparent lower leg injury. Here's a look at the depth chart behind Allar.
Penn State QB depth chart
QB | Player |
1 | Drew Allar |
2 | Ethan Grunkemeyer |
3 | Jaxon Smolik |
Grunkemeyer saw action in three games earlier this season, completing eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Grunkemeyer was a highly-rated signal-caller out of high school. A 4-star prospect from Lewis Center, Ohio, Grunkemeyer was the No. 7 overall quarterback prospect from the class of 2024, per the 247Sports Composite.
In high school, he threw for 6,036 yards and 64 touchdowns with 17 interceptions over two seasons per Max Preps. According to his PSU bio, Grunkemeyer holds school records for career passing yards (8,401), career passing touchdowns (80), passing yards in a season (3,517) and passing touchdowns in a season (39) at his alma mater, Olentangy High school.
“We recruited Ethan because we’ve seen over time that he’s got a chance to be a really talented player in the Big Ten and nationally,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said of Grunkemeyer in Dec. 2023. “He’s proved that, over his entire career, and really over the last probably year and a half, he has really taken it to a different level.
“His high school and his high school coach did a phenomenal job with him,” he continued. “His QB trainer [Brad Maendler], as you know now, we’ve got history with him. He’s done a great job with him as well. His family has done a great job. This kid is wired right. He’s been raised right. Discipline and structure at his high school. Discipline and structure in his home.”
There is also redshirt freshman quarterback Jaxon Smolik on its roster, but he hasn’t been able to play much this season. He has been dealing with a season-long injury, and was just cleared to play per head coach James Franklin for about a week. Smolik is a former 3-star quarterback prospect from the class of 2023 out of West Des Moines Iowa. Here's 247Sports' scouting report on Smith, from 2022:
Somewhat limited high school film going into his senior year as he rotated as a sophomore and had to work back from an injury as a junior but has flashed high level efficiency and ability. Completed over 65% of his passes with a 9 touchdown to 2 interception ratio as a junior. Has supplemented that by throwing well in camp settings. Accurate and places the ball where receivers can make plays after the catch without needing to break stride.
We'll have to see just how long Allar is out for Penn State.