Penn State fans are all in on Drew Allar. Could he be the heir apparent at QB?

Trying to pinpoint Sean Clifford’s successor before his sixth season was like peering through murky water. Would redshirt freshman Christian Veilleux show enough for a smooth transition into Penn State’s quarterback position? Or would one of the incoming freshmen — Drew Allar or Beau Pribula — skip the line?

Two games into the season, the answer is clear: Right now, it’s Allar.

The 6-foot-5, 242-pound quarterback was named Clifford’s backup three days before the season opener at Purdue. That decision didn’t provide a definitive conclusion as coach James Franklin was adamant that there was an ongoing competition for QB2.

“For a young kid, the game seems slow to him already,” Franklin said. “We had a bunch of discussions about when to get the other quarterbacks in and things like that and there’s that fine line because there are only so many reps to go around.”

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Allar saw his first series against the Boilermakers on Sept. 1 while Clifford was tending to cramps in the locker room. He completed 2 of 4 passes for 26 yards. While it was a small sample size, there were glimpses of his arm strength and poise on display.

The Penn State fan base’s backing of Allar became evident in a 46-10 win over Ohio in Week 2.

One student section sign read “All in for Allar,” with No. 15 prominently covering a white sheet. The 107,306 fans filling Beaver Stadium delivered one of the biggest ovations of the day when Allar checked in with Penn State holding a 19-point lead in the second half.

“No, [I couldn’t hear it],” Allar said in an interview with Penn State’s social media team. “I kind of try to block out the noise because that’s what the coaches preach to us. All that matters is what’s happening on each play.”

Allar ran the show for five drives, completing three of those possessions with touchdowns, before Veilleux replaced him to finish out the fourth quarter.

Allar’s claim as the likely candidate to succeed Clifford is not based on a deep body of work. He has played only 26 snaps. It’s Allar’s developed frame and flashes of brilliance that suggest he has starter potential.

One example came against Purdue when Allar rifled a pass to tight end Tyler Warren. Or his second pass attempt on Saturday, which elicited smiles from the Penn State sideline, as if to ask, “How did he just do that?”

On another play, he lined up in the shotgun and fired a sidearm pass across his body to wide receiver Parker Washington, all while taking a hit from Bobcats linebacker Keye Thompson.

Allar completed six passes and threw for 88 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio. He also scrambled five times for 11 yards. Franklin complimented Allar’s mobility but reminded Penn State fans, “He ain’t Trace McSorley.”

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What does Clifford think of his backup’s two-game resumé?

“I know how important it is to get those guys reps because if anything happens to me, I want to win games,” Clifford said. “That’s all that matters. I think that it was awesome today to be able to get Drew in there for series after series and [Veilleux] in a couple series as well.”

After the Ohio game, Franklin said his plan was to give Allar one series in the second quarter and another in the third. An early lead created more opportunity.

It shouldn’t get lost that Clifford is having a solid start to the season. He has a 61% completion rate with five touchdowns and an interception. He still gives Penn State its best chance to win now. But the quarterback of the future in Happy Valley is becoming more apparent.

“I think it’s just super important for the long term and how I want my development to go,” Allar said. “Every rep is something to learn from, good or bad. Obviously there’s a lot of stuff I need to improve on, but I’m just taking it one rep at a time.”