{"id":116538,"date":"2025-08-03T21:14:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T21:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116538\/"},"modified":"2025-08-03T21:14:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T21:14:11","slug":"james-franklin-sends-clear-message-on-penn-state-qb-battle-ahead-of-upcoming-ncaaf-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116538\/","title":{"rendered":"James Franklin sends clear message on Penn State QB battle ahead of upcoming NCAAF season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest loss to Notre Dame brought an end to the Penn State Nittany Lions<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 hopes of reaching the National Championship Game last NCAAF<\/strong> season. That\u2019s why head coach James Franklin<\/strong> knows he must field the most competitive roster possible heading into the new campaign \u2014 especially at the quarterback position.<\/p>\n

The only certainty for the experienced coach is that, barring any setbacks, Drew Allar will be his starting signal-caller come Week 1<\/strong>, when they debut in the season on August 30 against Nevada.<\/p>\n

That said, the biggest dilemma right now for Franklin is who will serve as Allar\u2019s primary backup throughout the season, a crucial detail for the head coach. With Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer as the main alternatives<\/strong>, the HC spoke to the media about this particular situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that one, in the spring, was really tightly contested,\u201d he said via on3.com. \u201cI thought Jaxon would be rusty coming back, but he wasn\u2019t. He had a great spring<\/strong>. So, this thing is, I think, going to go right down to the wire. Depending, if it finishes up like it did in the spring, it could continue throughout the entire year.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

\"Drew<\/p>\n

Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions in action during the Penn State Blue-White Spring Game on April 26, 2025 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s close, if there\u2019s a gap, there\u2019s a gap \u2014 but if it\u2019s close, I think the competition could go throughout the year, whoever has the best week that week is going to be the backup quarterback type of deal<\/strong>, just based on how close it was this spring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

see also<\/p>\n

The 30 highest-paid college football head coaches: Who’s earning the most?<\/p>\n

<\/a>The details behind choosing the QB<\/p>\n

While there are still some lingering doubts about who will be Allar\u2019s primary backup throughout the season, Franklin made it clear that the decision will ultimately come down to details, with a particular emphasis on the decision-making ability of his players.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, we have all the data to back that up, as well,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cIn terms of completion percentage, third-down percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratios, all those metrics that we all know are important in evaluating the quarterback position. You know, eliminating three-and-outs, those types of possessions. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then we\u2019ve talked about this before, whether it\u2019s an interception or not, we also grade interception-worthy throws or interception-worthy decisions, okay. Just because the DB dropped the ball, that was still a bad decision or a bad throw. So, having all that data to try to compare and contrast is valuable, but we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first challenges for Penn State<\/p>\n

At the end of August, the Penn State Nittany Lions will once again begin their journey in the NCAAF<\/a>, with hopes of becoming a model program for the rest. Aiming to be one of the best in the Big 10, here are the first five obstacles they must overcome to achieve this initial goal:<\/p>\n