A legendary Penn State quarterback shares insights on Drew Allar’s potential in the NFL, delivering a strong and important message.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Jake Trotter, former Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins expressed his views on current starter Drew Allar.

“[Allar is] physically imposing. He’s got an NFL body and skill set. There are other guys that have had tremendous success. But I wouldn’t necessarily say what they had translated into what is needed in the NFL… Drew has that, a hundred percent,” Collins said. This is high praise from Collins, who is widely regarded as the most successful NFL quarterback to emerge from Penn State.

After a standout college career with the Nittany Lions, Collins was picked fifth overall in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He went on to have a 17-year career in the league with various teams, and his total career passing yardage currently ranks 21st all-time in the NFL.

Collins clearly understands what it takes to excel at the professional level, so his recent remarks about Allar should not be overlooked.

Allar is currently in his second season as Penn State’s starting quarterback and has been impressive thus far. In five starts for the undefeated Nittany Lions this year, he has completed 70.9 percent of his passes, totaling 1,101 yards, with nine touchdowns and just one interception, while also rushing for 89 yards and three touchdowns.

STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 21: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions attempts a pass under pressure of Kameron Olds #11 of the Kent State Golden Flashes during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 21, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Compared to his performance in 2023, Allar’s completion percentage, passing yards per game, touchdown percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating have all improved this season. If he continues to perform at a high level for Penn State, he is likely to attract significant interest from NFL scouts in the coming months.

As Collins pointed out, Allar possesses “an NFL body,” standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 238 pounds, along with a strong arm. In his updated 2025 NFL draft Big Board rankings released on Thursday, ESPN’s Mel Kiper placed Allar as the sixth-best quarterback, following Quinn Ewers of Texas (fifth), Carson Beck of Georgia (fourth), Cam Ward of Miami (third), Jalen Milroe of Alabama (second), and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado (first).

According to NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, Allar is currently viewed as a Day 2 prospect for the 2025 draft, indicating that he is expected to be selected in the second or third round. While there is still time for this assessment to change, he faces the challenge of overcoming the history of Penn State quarterbacks struggling in the NFL.

Since 1966, twelve former Penn State quarterbacks have been drafted in the NFL, but only Collins and Jeff Hostetler have made it to at least one Pro Bowl during their careers. Others, such as Todd Blackledge, Christian Hackenberg, and Tony Sacca, failed to meet expectations in the NFL after their college careers with the Nittany Lions. Can Allar be the one to break this trend and achieve a successful professional career like Collins, or will he become just another example of a Penn State quarterback struggling to find success in the NFL?