Penn State’s prep for SMU shaken a bit by quarterback developments
Nittany Lions coach James Franklin took aim at the transfer portal system that he believes forced Beau Pribula to enter before Penn State's playoff game.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — As Penn State gears up to host Southern Methodist on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff (noon, TNT and Max), James Franklin has to deal with some other news concerning his team.
Hours before Franklin and a slew of offensive coaches addressed the media on Monday, junior quarterback Drew Allar announced that he would return for the 2025 season, and his backup, Beau Pribula, announced that he was entering the transfer portal and would not be available for the game.
Franklin wasn’t thrilled with the distraction, but he did have a lot to say about his suddenly unstable quarterback depth.
Pribula, a redshirt sophomore, was seemingly left in a lose-lose situation when he entered the transfer portal Sunday and concluded his career with the Nittany Lions.
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Putting no fault on Pribula, Franklin expressed his displeasure with how the situation unfolded, hoping it leads to change.
“Who is really running college football and making the best decisions for our student-athletes?” Franklin questioned. “Beau should not be put in this position.”
If Pribula did not enter the portal until after Penn State’s playoff run, he risked missing out on a starting job, with plenty of starting-caliber quarterbacks already in the portal. Franklin suggested having fewer games or forgoing the conference championship game as a way around the transfer portal’s timing before the postseason.
» READ MORE: What awaits Penn State in its playoff test with SMU? Here’s the rundown on the high-scoring Mustangs.
Pribula played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions this season, rushing for 242 yards and passing for 275. He accounted for nine touchdowns. His departure leaves the Lions with freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer as the backup quarterback.
Franklin does not allow players to play for the team once they’ve entered the portal. He has discussed amending the rule, but he doesn’t want to set a precedent.
Staying in Happy Valley
After firing offensive Mike Yurcich and losing defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and special teams coordinator Stacy Collins to Duke and Boise State, respectively, following last season, Penn State knows it’s keeping at least one of its coordinators for next season. Andy Kotelnicki announced last Monday that he’ll return for 2025 after being a finalist for the West Virginia job.
“I think about how hard we worked this offseason to make sure that having three new coordinators wasn’t going to create more challenges and be a setback for us,” Franklin said. “I think Andy and his family feel like we’re in a really good position and we can wait and take the right job. There’s power in that.”
Kotelnicki’s offense averaged 33.6 points per game and helped senior Tyler Warren secure the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. He’s also a likely factor in Allar’s decision to return.
Franklin is excited for what could come with Allar back.
“He’s doing a ton of really good things, and he’s developing and getting better. He’s playing great, he’s leading,” Franklin said. “And we believe there’s still a lot of room for growth and development.”