There’s pressure, and then there’s the Drew Allar kind of pressure. He’s not just returning to Penn State for a senior swan song—he’s coming back to fix what he helped break. That gut-punch playoff loss to Notre Dame? The one where he threw a pick that turned into an Irish walk-off? Yeah, that one’s been playing on a loop in Happy Valley. And now, he’s stepping into 2025 with national title expectations, a $9 million coaching gamble, and a head coach who’s either about to be a hero… or history.

Allar could’ve peaced out to the 2025 NFL Draft—top five buzz, maybe even the No. 2 pick. Instead? He stayed. To finish what he started, or maybe just clean up the wreckage left on Hard Rock Stadium’s turf. Let’s rewind. Penn State finished 13–1. Great record, diabolical defense. But it all unraveled in the semis. Allar’s last-second heave into the sky landed in Notre Dame DB Christian Gray’s hands. Next play? Field goal. Game over. Season over. Cue the finger-pointing at James Franklin, the man who still couldn’t beat a top-10 team when it actually counted. Fans were boiling. Boosters were restless.

So what did Franklin do? He blew it all up. The $9 million gamble? A three-year contract to steal Ohio State’s defensive wizard Jim Knowles. Oh, and he added weapons—Devonte Ross from Troy (1,000+ yards, 11 touchdowns), Trebor Pena from Syracuse, and brought back the bruising backfield duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who combined for over 2,200 rushing yards last season. But the headline grabber? That was Knowles.

On the Cover 3 podcast, Allar didn’t hold back when asked about his coach. Chip Patterson set him up, saying Franklin’s longevity in the Big Ten was second only to Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. Allar responded like someone who genuinely backs his coach: “I think he’s one of the most consistent guys you’ll ever meet. From the way he keeps his routine, to the way he works out—like, he’s always walking the practice fields, no matter the weather. You’ll always see him in his weighted vest or carrying weights out there, doing whatever it takes to get those extra steps in.”

Allar didn’t just stop at praise—he pointed out how that energy bleeds into the entire building. “You see it in everyone he hires. The coaching staff, support staff—it all clicks because of him. You go behind the scenes, and it all makes sense. That’s why we win.” To be fair, Franklin’s built something real at Penn State. Since arriving in 2014, he’s racked up over 100 wins, five 10-win seasons, a Big Ten title in 2016, a Rose Bowl dub in 2022, and a playoff debut. He inherited chaos post-Sandusky and somehow flipped it into a perennial contender with top-tier facilities and elite recruiting.

And still… the asterisk: His record against the top 10 heavy-hitters? 4–20. Against the top five? 1–15. For all the playoff talk, those numbers hang over him like a bad hangover. Still, Allar doubled down. “He’s been nothing but great,” he said. “Our conversations have gotten deeper. Our relationship’s tighter. That’s one of the main reasons I came back. There’s no other coach in America I’d rather play for.”

As Franklin once said, “chasing perfection to fall into excellence.” And in 2025, that means a Natty run.

Drew Allar gives props to James Franklin’s $9 million gamble

After watching his offense flatline in the biggest game of the season, Franklin didn’t go shopping for another flashy offensive guru. He went for a cold-blooded defensive tactician. Jim Knowles—yeah, that Jim Knowles—fresh off coordinating Ohio State’s natty-winning defense, was suddenly packing his bags for State College. Penn State didn’t blink, dropping $3.3 million per year on him, making Knowles the highest-paid assistant coach in college football. Vegas-sized money for a college-sized redemption arc.

Allar loved the hire. He told the Cover 3 crew, “Yeah, I’ve definitely had those opportunities [to talk with Jim Knowles]… Being able to hear him talk about football and seeing it from a different perspective has been great… Now I’m starting to get it—why they call certain things, why they’re in certain coverages.” And he should be soaking it in. In 2024, his Ohio State defense led the entire country in scoring defense (12.9 PPG) and total yards allowed (255 YPG). When Penn State faced them last fall? Knowles’ crew held the Lions to 150 total yards. That’s not defense—that’s academic humiliation with shoulder pads.

Ohio State ran 176 yards right up Penn State’s gut and turned Allar’s red-zone dreams into third-down nightmares. It wasn’t just a loss—it was a schematic clinic. So, of course, Franklin went all in. If you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. Right?

Now, Knowles inherits a defense already stacked. Dani Dennis‑Sutton off the edge. Zane Durant wrecking things inside. Tony Rojas commanding the linebacker core post-Abdul Carter. Safety Zakee Wheatley roaming the back. Knowles is installing his 4-2-5 scheme with surgical precision, hoping the young front seven catches on fast. For James Franklin, 2025 isn’t a make-or-break season. It’s THE season. And if Allar delivers, that $9 million bet might just turn into the best insurance policy Franklin ever wrote.