Drew Allar was acclaimed as one of the top prospects in the country. Blessed with natural physical strength that matches his gameplay, Allar has always been a part of the NFL draft conversations. But relying on his physicality alone has not proved to be fruitful. Flashes of excellence followed by lackluster miscues have caused his stock to slip, leaving scouts and fans questioning whether he can be a reliable prospect.

His performance against FIU was flat, and he finished the game with a 57.6 completion percentage. Despite winning the game, Allar was not a significant presence on the field. The wildcats also saw an indecisive Allar. These inconsistent performances have affected his chances of being drafted in the 2026 NFL draft. It was reflected in a recent poll of 25 NFL executives and scouts conducted by Pete Thamel

Drew was second last on the poll, with only two votes. Placing so low puts pressure on his name as the star quarterback of Penn State. But can we argue the placement with the ones above him? He is topped by the likes of La’Norris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, Carson Beck, and John Mateer. Sellers had the most votes (8), followed by Nussmeier, Beck, and Mateer with 7 and 3 votes, respectively.

Poll by @PeteThamel of 25 NFL executives/scouts of QB1 for 2026 NFL draft on @CollegeGameDay:

Meanwhile, the quarterback landscape for the 2026 NFL Draft is becoming increasingly competitive. As other top prospects continue to impress, the margin for error for Allar narrows, putting added pressure on him to prove he can perform at the level expected of a potential first-round pick.

It seems like Drew Allar has carried on his previous season’s struggles, which has put him on the critics’ watch list. Allar completed 19 of 33 passes against FIU and 16 of 29 against Villanova. On third downs, however, he struggled significantly, connecting on just 3 of 12 attempts, including going 0 for 5 in the matchup with the Wildcats.

Allar struggles with “overthinking” and fails to make quick decisions throughout the game. An interception can be forgiven, but repeated missed passes in crucial games will take you into the negative spotlight. His performance last week against Villanova was a dip from the game against Nevada, finishing with a 55.2 completion percentage.

Going down the pecking order could hurt or light a fire inside Drew, who will be looking to prove a point against Oregon next week.

Penn State’s 3-0 win masks Allar’s struggles

Drew Allar opened the season with a bang, dominating Nevada and finishing the game with an impressive 84.6% completion rate. However, his strong start quickly faded as he struggled against FIU and Villanova. Even so, his lack of impact did not significantly affect Penn State, as the team went on to win both games. That is usually not a good sign for a star quarterback.

Against Villanova, Drew completed 16 of 29 passes attempted for 209 yards. He also had 2 rushing attempts for 18 yards, with a 9.0 yards per rush attempt. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen joined Drew, contributing to strong backing runs and achieving 465 total yards. Penn State was dominant the whole game, and it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Wildcats scored.

HC James Franklin had his take on the matter. “We’ve got to help him get into a rhythm. And I think the third downs are a big part of that. We’ve got to be better on third down as coaches. Drew has to be better, and all the guys have to be a little bit better. I think we’ll attack it this bye week, but we’re not getting into the rhythm that I think we are capable of getting in,” said Franklin.

Allar also took responsibility for the mishaps in the post-game press conference. “I think it’s just a combination of self-inflicting wounds. There are a couple of times where they kind of got in on some pressures because I kind of messed up the protection for the O-line and a five-man pro,” said Allar.

The win means a flawless 3-0 streak for Penn State, but that doesn’t mean PSU is without troubles. James Franklin will be praying that his team sorts out the offensive end issues before their White-out against Oregon.