Penn State star quarterback Drew Allar has informed the school’s coaching staff of his intention to return for his senior year in 2025.

Allar, who announced the decision on social media Monday, expects to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in major college football next season, having thrown for 5,869 yards and 50 touchdowns in his career at Penn State has. His return makes him one of the sport’s most recognizable names for the 2025 season.

He had a strong finish to the 2024 season, leading Penn State to the Big Ten title game and a No. 6 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions will host No. 11 SMU on Dec. 21 in the first round of the CFP.

Allar is 21-5 as a starter at Penn State and has the highest completion percentage (63.6%) of any quarterback in school history. He also has the school’s highest passing percentage (146.4) and lowest interception percentage (1.16) all-time. He threw just nine career picks in 773 attempts.

In 2023, Allar had 25 touchdown passes and two interceptions. This season, he has 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in a more aggressive scheme under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. His yards per attempt average has increased from 6.8 in 2023 to 8.9.

Allar’s stature and height at 6’3″ and 220 pounds fits the NFL archetype.

He has emerged as an interesting NFL prospect in the final weeks of the season, as the current quarterback class is considered significantly weaker than last year, when a record six signal-callers were selected in the top 12. After Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, there is uncertainty as to which quarterback will be selected next.

Among ESPN analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. had Allar ranked No. 4 in his final quarterback rankings for the upcoming draft, and Jordan Reid ranked him No. 3 at the position and No. 30 overall. ESPN’s Matt Miller also ranked Allar at No. 30 overall if he had decided to leave in this draft.

Allar’s expected return now puts him at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft quarterback discussion, placing him alongside LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.

The news follows backup quarterback Beau Pribula’s decision on Sunday night to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Pribula told PSU officials that he would not remain with the team during the College Football Playoff.