Who is Penn State's starting QB in 2023? Exploring the QB depth chart of the Lions' locker room

Penn State is another Big Ten school replacing a quarterback who left for the NFL. Drew Allar looks to be Penn State's starting QB this year. While the Nittany Lions are losing their all-time leader in career wins, total yards, and passing touchdowns, Sean Clifford, they can find comfort as many pundits believe sophomore Allar's ceiling is even higher.

Sean Clifford left for the NFL.

What does the Penn State QB depth chart look like for 2023?

Drew Allar leads the quarterback depth chart. As a freshman, he was featured in ten games and threw for 344 yards and four TDs. He is yet to make his first career start.

Behind Allar is redshirt freshman Beau Pribula. He didn't feature much for the Nittany Lions last season. As a high school senior, he threw for 2,676 yards and 33 touchdowns, including 420 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. The group includes freshmen Jaxon Smolik, Jack Lambert, and Karson Kiesewetter.

Drew Allar: Stats and strengths

The statistics in Allar's college career are less, as he has not played much. Last year, he accrued 344 passing yards and four TDs. He has a QBR of 60 and a completion percentage of 58.3%. His passer rating is 128.5. In his senior high school year, he threw for 2,962 yards and 26 touchdowns at Medina High School.

He is listed as having one of the biggest arms in college football. The way he delivers passes also makes them easily catchable. His footwork and process to release the ball could be improved, as he sometimes takes too long to throw.

The Nittany Lion's hopes are pinned on Drew Allar.

Which Penn State QB candidate's playing style fits best with their offense?

Undoubtedly, the Nittany Lions are going with Allar for the starting QB role. He was recruited to be a starter and is one of the QBs to watch out for this season. Expectations are high at Penn State for the young signal caller.

As the rest of the QB depth chart is filled with freshmen, Drew will probably carry on the lead role if he performs well.

Penn State's starting QBs in the last 5 years

Sean Clifford, who joined the NFL's Green Bay Packers, was the captain and starting QB for Penn State from 2019 to 2022. In 2018, Trace McSorley was the starter. The Baltimore Ravens drafted him, and he currently plays with the New England Patriots.

Penn State's starting QB in 2022

Sean Clifford threw for 2822 yards, with a career-high 24 TDs and 7 INTs. He had a passer rating of 150.5 and completed 64.4% of his passes. He also had a career-high 5 rushing TDs. The Nittany Lions went 11-2 and closed the season with a Rose Bowl victory over the Utah Utes. They were No.7 in the AP poll.

Penn State's starting QB in 2021

Clifford threw for a career-high 3107 yards, with 21 TDs and 8 INTs. He had a passer rating of 134.4 and made 61% of his passes. Penn State went a mediocre 7-6 and ended the season losing at the Outback Bowl with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Who will be Penn State's starting QB in 2023?

As we said, Drew Allar looks to be starting for the Nittany Lions in a season he expects to impress. Currently, they are ranked No.7 in the nation and open the season against West Virginia on September 2 at home. Their first big test comes in week 4 when they face No.25 Iowa.