For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, there’s no relaxing on the weekends come the fall. On Sundays, it’s watching the Steelers. On Saturdays, it’s watching who might be the future of the franchise. There’s little doubt Pittsburgh will be in the market for a first-round quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, meaning the college quarterbacks who could make up the class are worth paying attention to all season. Penn State’s Drew Allar is part of that crowd and initial impressions are leaving NFL Network lead draft analyst Drew Allar a fan.
“I’ve been studying Drew Allar the last couple days,” Jeremiah tweeted Saturday. “There are areas to clean up but the good is really good.”
Allar opted against declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft to return to Penn State for one more season. His game took a leap from ’23 to ’24 with his completion percentage rising by nearly seven points and his yards-per-attempt increasing by 1.6 yards, 6.8 to 8.4. A well-built pocket passer, his 2024 season was still full of ups and downs and ended with a difficult performance in the playoffs against Notre Dame. Allar finished the night completing just 12-of-23 passes for 135 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception.
Tight end Tyler Warren proved to be one of college football’s top weapons but in fairness to Allar, his other arsenal of targets was weak and lacking at wide receiver. Overall, Allar still must become more consistent to truly become a worthy first-round prospect, cutting down on the mental mistakes and gaffes too commonly found in his game.
Here’s how our Jonathan Heitritter evaluated Allar earlier this offseason, offering a similar summary as Jeremiah.
“Allar has the size and arm teams love at the quarterback position, but also possesses the necessary mobility for that size, rushing for 564 yards and 11 touchdowns in his college career. He needs to hone his accuracy and decision-making, but the tools and traits are there for Allar to be a highly sought-after passer in this upcoming draft.”
Allar is one of a handful of quarterbacks worth watching this season. Others include Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, and underrated names like Arkansas’ Taylen Green and Oklahoma’s John Mateer.
NFL insiders like Jeremy Fowler expect Pittsburgh to take a big swing for a quarterback next April. The stars align for it to happen. There’s a need, the Steelers have plenty of draft picks, and as a feel-good storyline, the draft will be held in Pittsburgh. Obtaining one still has its challenges, competing with other teams with either higher or additional first-round picks, but the Steelers will be watching as closely as anyone when it comes to evaluating next year’s QB class.
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