Redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer had a clear path to the starting job after Drew Allar’s injury, but that outlook now looks uncertain with rumors of PSU pursuing Beau Pribula’s return. Yes, he didn’t have much chance to prove himself on a bigger platform, but even without that, he has earned the trust of interim head coach Terry Smith.

“Looking at Ethan’s progress, I think he’s grown tremendously. I think he’s had a great season,” Terry Smith said about Ethan Grunkemeyer at Thursday’s Zoom press conference. “Think he is a future quarterback for Penn State. I think we can win a national championship with him. He’s done a great job. He’s right there getting ready to set the school record for pass percentage completion rate. Each game, he’s just gotten better and better. Watching him in that two-minute situation right before the half at Rutgers – that really showed who he is and what he’s capable of doing.

His growth has been tremendous, and I’m super happy for him. Super proud of him. He’s going to be a really good football player for us here in the future.”

Grunkemeyer took over as the starting quarterback in October, and he didn’t waste any time making an impact. With each start, his growth was obvious. His completion percentage jumped from 53% in his first game to 72.7% in three of his final four regular-season outings. As a redshirt freshman, he earned the trust of his teammates, including captain Nick Dawkins, who called him a “hell of a leader” and a “powerful figure.”

What really stood out was his calm under pressure. Against Rutgers, with just 27 seconds left in the first half and Penn State reeling from a recent score, Grunkemeyer stayed cool and ripped off completions of 6, 19, and 23 yards in just 24 seconds. That quick drive set up a 31-yard Ryan Barker field goal, sending the Nittany Lions into halftime up 24–21. Then came Indiana, where he showed a true “no-flinch” mentality.

After throwing an interception on the opening drive of the third quarter, one that helped Indiana stretch the lead to 20–7, Grunkemeyer bounced right back. He regrouped on the sideline and completed six straight passes. He went 11-of-13 overall after the pick and finished with a season-high 291 passing yards. Terry Smith even praised his ability to manage the game and handle crowd noise during his first start against Iowa.

“I thought his game was solid,” Smith said. “I thought he managed the line of scrimmage and the calls at the line of scrimmage. He handled the crowd. The crowd was electric. We didn’t have any miscues with communication at the line of scrimmage, so he did a terrific job with that.”

It goes without saying that Ethan Grunkemeyer’s future at Happy Valley is far from settled. With Matt Campbell now handling playcalling duties, he won’t hand over the keys to the offense easily. Add in Beau Pribula entering the transfer market, and the freshman quarterback’s path forward suddenly looks much more crowded.

State College is calling back

The Beau Pribula saga encapsulates everything volatile and fascinating about the modern transfer portal and NIL era. After Drew Allar’s season-ending injury, PSU is looking for a veteran QB. That’s where Pribula comes in. After his debut season at Missouri, he got cut down with a dislocated ankle. The new Penn State under Matt Campbell won’t let this opportunity slide by. Rumors surfaced that Penn State had already put a $3 million offer on the table.

Pribula sat behind Allar for two seasons, redshirting as a freshman and earning “Developmental Squad Offensive Player of the Week” honors against Central Michigan. He pursued the starting role the following year but failed. So he already has the experience of a blue-blooded program. What changes the narrative now is how good he was before the injury. Pribula led the Tigers to a 6-1 record, throwing for 1,941 yards and 11 touchdowns before going down against Vanderbilt.

Those numbers position him as one of the more attractive quarterback options in the portal. Penn State’s situation only intensifies the speculation. Matt Campbell must rebuild the program and guide it back to national title relevance. Bringing back a Pennsylvania native who already has equity in the locker room and fanbase would be a powerful way to stabilize the QB position.

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