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Ethan Grunkemeyer’s first pass as a Penn State football player could now be one of his most important.
The true freshman suddenly appears to be the top backup to starting quarterback Drew Allar.
It’s quite a shift for the always-promising, but now quickly-relevant, QB who has not yet played a snap in college. If he, indeed, is listed as the No. 2 QB on Saturday in Beaver Stadium against the SMU Mustangs, he must be ready to take over a College Football Playoff game at a moment’s notice.
This rise for Grunkemeyer (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) before this CFP opener was made possible by an unexpected transfer portal move: Valuable backup Beau Pribula announced Sunday that he was leaving the Nittany Lions for another program, effective immediately.
Grunkemeyer’s competition is redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik, who played in one game last year, and has been sidelined since the spring with an undisclosed injury. He was just cleared for full-contact practice work, head coach James Franklin said.
Apr 13, 2024; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) throws a pass during the second quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The White team defeated the Blue team 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
For Grunkemeyer, “his growth, like many other people in his class, has been very steep throughout the course of the year,” offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said this week. “A ton of comfort with where he has developed as a football player. A ton.”
Here are three things to know about Grunkemeyer:
Penn State football: Ethan Grunkemeyer, impressive recruiting rise
Grunkemeyer was an intriguing but still-developing three-star recruit when he verbally committed to the Lions in May 2023 − choosing them over Minnesota and Cincinnati.
A month later he starred at the annual…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-2-penn-state-football-090307066.html
Author : York Daily Record
Publish date : 2024-12-19 09:03:00
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