Penn State's 2025 outlook improved dramatically when starting quarterback Drew Allar announced his return for one more season with the Nittany Lions on Dec. 16. Allar gives the program a veteran arm with proven Big Ten production in an era where it's increasingly difficult to retain important assets.
But Allar's decision had the unintended consequence of driving key backup Beau Pribula to the transfer portal less than a week before the College Football Playoff began. Pribula did not remain with Penn State through the postseason and committed to Missouri on Dec. 22.
Pribula's absence was not immediately felt. Penn State eased past SMU in the first round -- thanks in large part to a strong defensive effort -- and Allar threw three touchdowns in the Nittany Lions' quarterfinal win against Boise State.
All the while tight end Tyler Warren served as a wildcat quarterback in rushing packages -- a role that Pribula served during the regular season. Allar, and Penn State, met a stone wall in their Orange Bowl semifinal game against Notre Dame.
The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish traded blows until late in the fourth quarter, when Allar -- who had two potential interceptions negated by defensive penalties -- threw his first actual interception of the game on a panic-induced decision, allowing Notre Dame to take over deep in Penn State territory. The Fighting Irish kicked a game-deciding 41-yard field goal off of the turnover.
Allar finished with an inefficient 12 completions on 23 attempts and 135 yards. He wasn't directly responsible for a single score but did toss the game's defining turnover. In the wake of Allar's struggles, many clamored for the lost Pribula on social media.
But would Pribula have made much of a difference? As mentioned above, he did maintain a respectable, if situational, rushing role with the Nittany Lions. But rarely did he attempt a high-leverage pass and Pribula didn't start a single game in 2024.
He did get a lot of run when Allar exited an Oct. 26 win against Wisconsin, completing 11 of 13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. Even then, that was a regular season game against a Wisconsin team that finished the year 5-7, with a 3-6 showing in conference play.
Inserting Pribula against Notre Dame would have been a gargantuan ask, especially since his sample size operating Penn State's offense on a full-time basis is so small. Pribula could have made a slight difference as a runner against the Irish, particularly in the red zone.
Pribula received six carries in the red zone this season; three of them went for touchdowns, according to TruMedia. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry in the red zone, while Penn State averaged 3.8 yards as a team in the same situation. Penn State had to rely almost entirely upon running back Nicholas Singleton for its red zone production against Notre Dame.
Singleton scored all three of the team's offensive touchdowns, and he produced five of Penn State's six plays of five-plus yards in the red zone. Having Pribula would have given the Nittany Lions another option, at the very least.
Players like Singleton and Warren had to carry a slightly larger load in Pribula's absence, but it's hard to say Pribula would have tipped the scales in Penn State's favor. Though Allar certainly didn't cover himself in glory, Penn State's issues go well beyond the quarterback position. The Nittany Lions became the first non-service academy team to finish a game without a wide receiver recording a catch in 2024.
Penn State ran the ball extremely well, even without Pribula, but eventually Notre Dame's defense was able to adjust and stack the box without having to worry about any receivers beating it over the top. That's not an issue that Pribula could have fixed on his lonesome, even if he was easy to pine for in the midst of Penn State's late meltdown.
