What's next for Drew Allar? Penn State QB reportedly has surgery on broken ankle as he maps out future plans

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to address his broken left ankle, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Allar sustained the injury -- the extent of which had not been divulged -- last Saturday in the Nittany Lions' 22-21 loss to Northwestern, and former coach James Franklin announced at the time that the fourth-year quarterback would miss the rest of the season.

Allar is reportedly on track to make a full recovery, and he could be cleared to return to workouts in the coming months.

The injury occurred in the closing minutes of Penn State's third straight loss, one that led the program to fire Franklin in the highest-profile and most surprising coaching change of the 2025 college football season. Allar tucked the ball for a scramble with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, and he fell awkwardly upon contact with two Northwestern defenders. He spent several minutes on the turf before trainers assisted him to the sideline and eventually carted him into the locker room.

The failure to develop QB Drew Allar sealed James Franklin's fate at Penn State

Brian Dohn

Allar, a three-year starter who led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, finished the year as a 64.8% passer with 1,100 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran into trouble in the final weeks of his season with a string of underwhelming performances in losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions, in turn, fell from national title contention to afterthoughts in the Big Ten with losses to a pair of conference bottom-dwellers.

What are Drew Allar's next steps?

Given that 2025 is Allar's final year of eligibility, the ankle injury almost certainly brought an unfortunate end to his college career. He could submit a medical hardship waiver application to seek a fifth year of eligibility, but given that he participated in more than 30% of Penn State's regular-season games, it is unlikely the waiver would be approved. Unless the NCAA changes its eligibility rules to add a fifth year, Allar will now turn his attention toward the NFL Draft.

Though Allar considered leaving for the NFL after last season, this was supposed to be a year for Allar to both lead Penn State to a national title and further boost his pro prospects. His stock took a tumble during his career as Penn State's starter as he struggled to deliver on the lofty expectations placed on him as a former five-star recruit. Allar displayed ample promise in his debut season in the role when he led the Big Ten with 25 touchdowns and threw just two interceptions, but he failed to replicate those numbers in the years since.

NFL teams will be tasked with weighing Allar's still-tantalizing physical tools with his up-and-down production. They must also determine how much of his ceiling was capped by Penn State's lackluster run of wide receivers -- or to what extent those receivers underwhelmed because of Allar.

The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, will turn to redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkenmeyer as they continue their season on the road against Iowa on Saturday under interim coach Terry Smith.