James Franklin still mulling Penn State backup QB decision

Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer still competing to back up Drew Allar

For the third striaght season, Penn State knows who the starting quarterback of the team will be. But one of the more important questions at the position may not be answered before the start of the season. Who will be the backup option to Drew Allar should one be needed to call into action?

After losing Beau Pribula to the transfer portal just before the start of the College Football Playoff last season, Penn State’s top two options behind Allar come down to redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik and redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer. If you are to take anything head coach James Franklin said to heart during a media day session on Saturday, the decision may linger into the season.

“That one in the spring was really tightly contested,” Franklin said on Saturday when meeting with the media. “This thing is, I think, going to go right down to the wire.”

Franklin suggested the decision on who will back up Allar could be determined on a weekly basis based on performance during the week during practices, which suggests Franklin and his staff are not comfortable making a firm call at this time and are encouraging more competition for the job.

“Depending, if it finishes up like it did in the spring, it could continue throughout the entire year,” Franklin said. “If it’s close, if there’s a gap, there’s a gap. If it’s close, I think the competition could go throughout the year, whoever has the best week that week is going to be the backup quarterback type of deal, just based on how close it was this spring.”

This is a tactic that is not new for Franklin. We have seen this strategy play out multiple times in recent seasons with the backup quarterback decision-making. In 2021, there was some indecision on who would be the backup option to cemented starter Sean…

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Publish date : 2025-08-03 12:14:00

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