A notable piece of Penn State’s offense will look for a new home. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula announced on Sunday night his decision to enter the transfer portal and “depart from the team to explore opportunities elsewhere” before the Saturday’s College Football Playoff game against SMU.
It’s a move that will likely shake up an inexperienced quarterback room behind Drew Allar, but could also signal the potential return of the Nittany Lions’ two-year starter, who is eligible to enter the NFL Draft this offseason.
“The current NCAA post-season model creates a challenge for student-athletes,” Pribula said in a statement he posted on X. “The overlapping CFP playoff and transfer portal timeline has forced me into an impossible decision.”
Despite backing up Allar each of the last two seasons, Pribula has played a significant role on Penn State’s offense over that span. He has played in 24 total games, rushing for 571 yards and 10 touchdowns while also combining for 424 passing yards and nine touchdowns.
It was in a 28-13 win at Wisconsin on Nov. 26 that Pribula truly broke out as a talent likely good enough to start at the Power Four level. With Allar injured for the second half, Pribula completed 11-of-13 pass attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown and also took six carries for 28 yards.
With Pribula out of the picture, true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer is set to become the de facto backup behind Allar. Grunkemeyer, a former four-star recruit, has not played in a game this season. Jaxon Smolik, a redshirt freshman who sustained a reportedly “significant” injury in the offseason, should serve as the third-string.
The Nittany Lions are set to open their doors to another quarterback prior to next season, having recently signed three-star Bekkem Kritza.
