Penn Statehashigh expectations for the 2024 college football seasonfollowing another 10-win regular season campaign last fall. The Nittany Lions areprojected as a fringe top-10 team in national preseason rankings, withBig Ten championship aspirationsanda debut College Football Playoff appearancein focus.
PSU opens its 2024 game schedule Aug. 31 at West Virginiaina rematch of the Nittany Lions' 2023 opener win. In the meantime, our Countdown to Kickoff series will feature players whose uniform numbers correspond with that number of days remaining until that matchup. Now at15 days, we focus on starting quarterback Drew Allar and rising defender Amin Vanover.
THE BASICS
- Drew Allar-
Position:Quarterback
Class: Junior
Size: 6-foot-5, 238 pounds
High school: Medina (Ohio)
- Amin Vanover-
Position:Defensive end
Class:Redshirt senior
Size: 6-foot-4, 268 pounds
High school: St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.)
PATHS TO PENN STATE
When the Nittany Lions extended a scholarship offer in January 2021,Drew Allarwas considered a three-star prospect and ranked at No. 453 overall in 247Sports' Class of 2022 recruit rankings. One year later, he reached enrollment at No. 3 overall, entrenched as a five-star talent,fresh off a start in the All-American Bowl and easily Penn State's top-rated quarterback signee of theJames Franklinera.
As a senior at Medina, Allar completed 60 percent of pass attempts for 4,444 yards and 48 touchdowns in 14 games with nearly 400 rushing yards, nine rushing scores, and seven interceptions. He was named Mr. Ohio Football, and Ohio State offered during his senior season, but he opted to stick with Penn State.
"I have a great amount of respect to Coach [Ryan] Day and [quarterbacks ] Coach [Corey] Dennis, and the Ohio State program," Allar told Lions247. "But I felt like the best thing for me was to come to Penn State, and I thought it was just the best fit for me overall, academically and for football."
Allar wasone of two newcomers in the Nittany Lions' quarterback room last year, along with top Pennsylvania QB prospectBeau Pribula,who also enrolledin January 2022. 247Sports placed Allar atopitsQB rankings that cycle.
***
A two-time all-state selection atSt. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), defensive endAmin Vanovertotaled 24.5 sacks during his last three high school seasons, securing more than 20 FBS scholarship offers along the way. Penn State presented an opportunity midway through his junior year, and he committed the ensuing summer of 2019 after listing programs such as Georgia, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech among favorites.
It was the second consecutive cycle in which PSU plucked a defensive lineman out of St. Joseph Regional, as Vanover followed 2019 signeeSmith Vilbertto Happy Valley.Vanover was evaluated asa three-star talentand No. 446 overall talent in 247Sports' 2020 composite prospect rankings.
HAPPY VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS
Approximately one month beforeAllarand Pribula were set to arrive in Happy Valley, veteran Penn State quarterbackSean Cliffordannounced plans to remain on campus for an extra senior season— created by the NCAA's pandemic response. The sixth-year Nittany Lion made his 34th career startin the 2022 season opener and stuck in that role throughout an 11-win campaign.
Below Clifford on the depth chart, Allarsurpassed previous primary backupChristian Veilleuxduring preseason camp. Heattempted his first career pass by the third quarter of Game 1, when Clifford was briefly unavailable, and ultimately entered 10 contests,completing 35 of 60 throws (58 percent) for 344 yards with five total touchdowns and no turnovers. Thatwas the most game action for any freshman Penn State quarterback since 2013 (Christian Hackenberg).
When Clifford moved onto to the NFL, Allar ascended to the starting spot with Pribula serving as QB2 behind him. He threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening victory over West Virginia, and didn't throw an interception until late October, but Allar would finish below 250 passing yards in each ensuing game until after Thanksgiving.
Allar tallied an impressive TD-INT ratio of 25-to-2 and added four rushing touchdowns, but he failed to complete 50 percent of passes in all three losses. His 311 pass attempts without an interception to open a college career set an FBS record, and Allar joined former Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (2022) as the only FBS quarterbacks ever to throw 25 or more touchdown passes and two orfewer interceptions in a season.
--
Vanoverenrolled in Summer 2020 amidst pandemic uncertainty and ultimatelyentered two contests, collecting three tackles. Entering Year 2, Vanover was identified as player capable of making an impact at defensive end or defensive tackle.
Focus in 2021 ultimately shifted toward an interior role, especially afterthe midseasonloss of All-Big Ten tacklePJ Mustipher, though his game usage was largely limited. He checked in for sixtotal contests,but only three againstBig Ten opponents.His most productive performance occurred in the Outback Bowl, as he collected three of his four total tackles on the season.
Vanover took a significant step forward in 2022, finding his footing at defensive end. He surpassed 250 snaps as a second-team player, totaling 16 tackles (4.5 for loss) and one sack with three pass breakups. He remained a rotational piece last year as a redshirt junior,ranking fifth amongpositional peers with 145 total defensive snaps despite beingrestricted to eight games due to injury issues.
In limited 2023 work, Vanover collected six tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
2024 OUTLOOK
Allaris widely viewed as the make-or-break aspect of Penn State's 2024 College Football Playoff chances. Despite the clean-looking stat line,his overall body of work as a sophom*ore supplied plenty of room for improvement. Clearly,givenhis decision to fire offensive cooerdinator Mike Yurcich after a particularly ugly performance versusMichigan, Penn State head coachJames Franklinfelt a change was necessary tomaximize Allar— and the offense at large.
Allarremains aQB prototype in the physical sense with a filled-out 6-foot-5 frame, a rocket arm and improving athleticism. OC Andy Kotelnicki's ability to accentuate the positives of this 2024 roster cango a long way toward supplying Allar a renewed sense of foundation, and the play-caller has described him as an extension of the coaching staff on the field.
If Allar stacks a few strong performances through September, it won't take long for 2025 NFL Draft talk to begin bubbling up. But between now and then, growth with confidence and leadership as a galvanizing figure in a year of offensive transition are atop the to-do list.
"Last year, just with me being a first-time starter, learning how to bounce back quicker was something I kind of struggled with because I kind of dwelled on things when things didn't go my way," Allar said this week. "I think I've done a better job of learning how to flush that and then just whenever I go back and watch the film."
--
Vanover
Amin Vanoverhas entered 29 games as a Nittany Lion but his projected importance reaches a new level in Year 5. The departure ofAll-Big Ten defensive endsAdisa IsaacandChop Robinson, combined with an injury to fellow redshirt seniorZuriah Fisher(sidelined indefinitely) and the recent dismissal of sophom*oreJameial Lyons—a popular breakout pick—create a need for new high-volume contributors.
Isaac and Robinson combined for more 700 snaps, so there are large game roles to fill at edge rusher, even after the transition of former All-Big Ten linebackerAbdul Carter.Among the collection of currently available players, only junior Dani Dennis-Suttonand Vanover have extendedBig Ten experience at defensive end.
Unsolicited, Penn State head coachJames Franklinshouted-out Vanover after a 2024 spring game in which he secured a sack and an interception.
"I think he's going to have a huge year for us," Franklin said. "And he's a guy that, in my opinion, has done it the right way. It hasn't always been easy for him or us. His journey has been challenging at times. And he's really stuck it out and just got better and better and better and better. I think he's going to have a really good year. Really proud of what he's done."
VIP Special: Save 30% on annual Lions247 access
PREVIOUS NUMBERS
16 - Khalil Dinkins and Elliot Washington17 - Ethan Grunkemeyer and Kenny Woseley18 - Max Granville and Joey Schlaffer
19 - Josiah Brown
20 - Mylachi Williams21 - Vaboue Toure
22 - John Cappelletti23 - Antoine Belgrave-Shorter24 - Ta'Mere Robinson and Corey Smith
25 - Quinton Martin
26 - Cam Wallace
27 - Lamont Payne
28 - Zane Durant29 - Audavion Collins30 - Kari Jackson31 - Kolin Dinkins32 - Keon Wylie33 - Dani Dennis-Sutton34 - Franco Harris
35 - Trey Bauer36 - Zuriah Fisher37 - Drew Hartlaub38 - Tank Smith
39 - Ty Blanding
40 - Anthony Speca
41 - Kobe King
42 - Mason Robinson43 - Tyler Elsdon
44 - Tyler Warren and Jalen Harvey
45 - Sean Lee46 - Nick Tarburton
47 - Jordan Hill
48 - Kaveion Keys
49 - Ben Chizmar50 - Cooper Cousins and Alonzo Ford
51 - Hakeem Beamon
52 - Ryan Bates
53 - Nick Dawkins
54 - Xavier Gilliam
55 - Chimdy Onoh
56 - Joseph Mupoyi and JB Nelson
57 - Donnie Harbour
58 - Kaleb Artis
59 - Aaron Maybin
60 - Matt Millen
61 -Stefen Wisniewski62 - Michal Menet
63 - Alex Birchmeier
64- Eagan Boyer
65 - Miles Dieffenbach66 - Drew Shelton
67 -Kareem McKenzie68 - Anthony Donkoh
69 -Floyd Wedderburn70 - Garrett Sexton
71 - Vega Ioane
72 - Nolan Rucci
73 - Caleb Brewer74 - J'ven Williams
75 - Eric Shrive
76 - Steve Smear
77 - Sal Wormley
78 - Mike Munchak79 - Addison Penn
80 - Mehki Flowers
81 - Kyle Brady
82 - Kenny Jackson83 - Joe Jurevicius84 - Peter Gonzalez85 - Luke Reynolds86 - Brenton Stange
87 - Andrew Rappleyea88 -Jerry Cross89 -Dave Robinson90 -Liam Andrews91 -Dvon Ellies and Chase Meyer92 -Smith Vilbert93 -Sander Sahaydak94 -Ryan Barker and De'Andre Cook95 -Jordan Mayer and Riley Thompson96 -Immanuel Iyke97 -T.A. Cunningham98 -Jordan Stout99 -Coziah Izzard100-Meet the Penn State transfer class
