or James Franklin, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of Drew Allar was the culmination of a journey he personally oversaw. The former Nittany Lions’ dream of making it to the pros hit a roadblock last season. And now that he has finally made it, the man who got him to Happy Valley couldn’t be happier.

“Built through early mornings and late nights, Drew Allar earned his shot,” James Franklin wrote on X after the Steelers took Allar at 76th overall. “Your dedication never wavered. Proud of you and excited to see you compete with the Steelers.”

Former Penn State head coach James Franklin recruited Drew Allar from Medina High School in 2021. He led the team to a state regional final appearance as a senior and helped it to a 13-1 record. In doing so, he passed for 4,444 yards and 48 passing touchdowns, setting the Medina County record. Franklin was particularly impressed by his loyalty during recruitment from high school.

“He and his family handled the process extremely well… They gave us their word when he committed and stayed true to it,” Franklin said in July 2022. “It just speaks to his character and his family’s character that, once they gave us their word, they stayed loyal to that and never really ever wavered.”

Although Allar had a sporadic role in the 2022 season, he still passed for 344 yards and scored four touchdowns. In 2023, Franklin named the 6’5″ and 235 lbs QB to be his starter, and Allar didn’t disappoint. He passed for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns and threw just two interceptions, becoming the future of Penn State’s offense.

“When we first started recruiting, [he] was a three-star recruit, kind of a throwback recruit,” Franklin said about Allar. “He’s now 6’5″, 235 pounds, can make every throw on the field… has really, really made tremendous strides as a leader… He’s willing to have tough conversations with his teammates.”

Allar had his ups and downs with Penn State, including his pass incompletions in the 2024 season. He still displayed elite arm talent and rushing threat. In total, he has a whopping 7,402 passing yards to his name, along with 736 rushing yards. Even though he still isn’t a ‘finished product,’ James Franklin made sure that he would become just that with time.

At the Steelers now, Allar will reportedly sign a $7.1 million four-year contract as he hopes for a bigger role. The Steelers are banking on just that amid Aaron Rodgers’ pending decision.

Drew Allar is excited to be a Steeler

The Steelers haven’t yet heard from Aaron Rodgers about his 2026 return, so taking in a QB made sense. However, in doing so, the team has also ensured not to irk Rodgers, since Allar will need time to develop and is not really a day-1 starter. The former PSU QB has the measurables and will have the last year’s sixth-round pick, Will Howard, in the QB room. On his part, Allar is extremely excited for the challenge.

“It was just a lot of anticipation kind of throughout the day and in the last couple of weeks, honestly, but very excited for the opportunity I have to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Allar said. “It’s definitely a dream come true to play for such a great organization and fulfill my dream of having the opportunity to play in the NFL. Honestly, during my time at Penn State, I got a lot more familiar with, obviously, the whole state of PA, but especially Pittsburgh.”

Steelers QB coach Tom Arth has also downplayed Allar’s signing as having any impact on Rodgers’ decision. “I don’t believe that has any impact on Aaron,” Arth said. In all, Arth is getting a QB who possesses big hands, great arm talent, a high upside, and the ability to make throws to all areas of the field. For now, the Steelers have a veteran backup QB in Mason Rudolph, apart from Will Howard, who missed his rookie season due to injury.