Penn State QB Drew Allar pushed hard for a path back to the Nittany Lions for one more year. After his season-ending injury, a medical redshirt felt like the one avenue that could keep that hope alive. But the NCAA eligibility rules weren’t nearly as forgiving as he needed them to be, leaving his case far more uncertain.

“Penn State QB Drew Allar tells ESPN he considered a medical redshirt but learned he’s not eligible. On Sirius XM on Tuesday, former college coach Jimbo Fisher said he thinks Allar would have benefited from another season of college football,” Penn State insider Mike Poorman said on X.

The NCAA’s criteria are unforgiving. For a medical redshirt to be granted, the injury has to happen in the early stretch of the schedule, and the player must appear in no more than about one-third of the season. By the time Allar went down late in the fourth quarter of Penn State’s Week 7 matchup against Northwestern, he’d already blown past that limit. That alone shut the door on any waiver hopes. Unless the NCAA adjusts its eligibility rules, it is confirmed that Allar will not receive a medical redshirt.

That leaves the NFL Draft as his next step. Now, roughly six weeks after his season-ending ankle injury, Allar sounds at peace with that reality. “I’ve played a lot of high-level football,” Allar told ESPN on Tuesday. “I have a lot of film to speak for myself. The best option for me is to move on to the next level.”

As a prospect, Allar’s draft pick remains a bit of a riddle. His combination of arm strength, movement skills, and size was mainly the reason behind his rise. But his initial film suggests his game under pressure is still a work in progress. When pockets tighten, his mechanics can unravel. In such pressure moments, he’ll occasionally drift or rush the throw, and that’s when the ball tends to scatter. That variability is what makes him both intriguing and unpredictable at the next level.

On top of it, even though Allar’s getting better, his injury might be concerning for NFL teams. His ceiling is real. But so is the risk. The pre-draft process will decide which version teams believe they can unlock. With Allar officially done at Penn State, the Nittany Lions step into their own period of uncertainty, moving forward without their starter, without their coach, and without the quarterback meant to lead their next title push

With that, Penn State’s coaching search surges.

Penn State gets a new name on its coaching carousel

Penn State’s coaching search takes another turn. After hooking up Terry Smith with an interview, there’s another big name popping in to replace James Franklin. Betting platform Kalshi now lists James Madison coach Bob Chesney as their favorite, giving him a 39% chance to land Penn State’s job, and even Marcus Freeman surged to second place, holding 26% odds.

Marcus Freeman was always on Penn State’s radar, and even On3’s analyst Pete Nakos noted that momentum back in October.

“One name that Pat Kraft may make a run at is Notre Dame’s,” sources have told On3. The 39-year-old head coach is 37-11 in three seasons in South Bend and took the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff national title game last season,” Nakos said.

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But interest in Chesney, too, makes sense. In his second season with James Madison, this man holds a 17-5 record with them and a 128-51 overall record. On top of that, with a 10-1 record, they are already in playoff contention. Yet Chesney isn’t giving attention to outside noise.

“We’re trying to win games, stay focused, and not worry about anything else,” Chesney said. “These are things that are important for the community and for the guys who got us here. It’d be foolish and unfair to just brush it under the rug and say it doesn’t exist because it does.”

Now, let’s wait and see which coach actually takes the reins at Penn State and which one is left out.