James Lang-Imagn Images

Update on Penn State QB Drew Allar Following Injury vs. Northwestern

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 7:32 PM ET

Penn State fans have had a rough last few days, with the firing of head coach James Franklin and the injury to starting quarterback Drew Allar.

Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the 22-21 loss to Northwestern, which ultimately led to Franklin being fired.

Allar had been Penn State's starter since the 2023 season. He threw for 1,100 passing yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions before the injury.

On Thursday, ESPN's Pete Thamel gave an update on the Penn State quarterback. Allar had surgery on Wednesday that was successful, and is expected to make a full recovery. He will be cleared to begin working out again in the next few months.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15). Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Allar was a highly touted prospect out of high school. He was a former five-star recruit and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2022 class. Allar took over for former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford when he went to the NFL following the 2022 season.

His replacement will be backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Grunkemeyer was a four-star prospect and No. 9 quarterback in the 2024 class. He has played in four games this season and accounted for 105 passing yards and one touchdown.

Franklin's firing was the result of three straight losses by Penn State. The Nittany Lions first lost to then-ranked No. 6 Oregon 30-24 in double overtime.

Things got really bad in the following game, when then-ranked No. 7 Penn State lost 42-37 to unranked UCLA. The Nittany Lions were 24.5-point favorites on ESPN BET.

It all fell apart for Franklin and Penn State when they lost to Northwestern as a 20.5-point favorite on ESPN BET.

Penn State and interim head coach Terry Smith face Iowa in their first game without Franklin. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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