Terry Smith On Drew Allar: “Our System Wasn’t Built For Him”

TL;DR

Terry Smith, Penn State's cornerbacks coach, stated that the team's system was not designed for quarterback Drew Allar, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He emphasized that some decisions were beyond Allar's control, impacting his performance.

Key points

Terry Smith discussed Drew Allar's fit in the Penn State system.
Allar was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round.
His completion percentage improved significantly from 2023 to 2024.

Drew AllarPittsburgh SteelersPenn State Nittany LionsTyler Warren

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 13: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on before the game against the Villanova Wildcats at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium on September 13, 2025 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images Cornerbacks coach and former interim head coach Terry Smith went on Pittsburgh radio station 93.7 The Fan on Monday to discuss a myriad of topics, including Drew Allar getting selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round. Smith made a bit of waves with his comments, saying the Penn State system wasn’t necessarily a fit for Allar. “I’ve been known as the truth-teller here at Penn State. And unfairly to Drew, our system wasn’t built for him — it wasn’t made for him. Some of the decisions were taken out of his control.” This discourse is nothing new for Penn State fans. Much of the discussion during Allar’s time in Happy Valley was if he was the best fit for Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. Many fans thought that a quicker, more mobile, more accurate quarterback in the short areas would have made more sense than Allar, whose strengths of being able to stretch the field weren’t always taken advantage of. Of course, it should be mentioned that Allar improved greatly from 2023 to 2024, and much of that should be credited with Kotelnicki’s offense — even if the offense was as simple as “get Tyler Warren the ball.” Allar’s completion percentage improved from 59.9% to 66.5% and his yards-per-attempt climbed from 6.8 to 8.4, both sizable jumps. The strugglefest that was the Penn State offense in 2025 though needs some sort of explanation, and at least according to Terry Smith, it was partly not putting Allar in the correct offense to highlight his strengths.

Q&A

Why did Terry Smith say the Penn State system wasn't built for Drew Allar?

Terry Smith indicated that the system did not align with Allar's strengths, limiting his effectiveness as a quarterback.

How did Drew Allar's performance improve from 2023 to 2024?

Allar's completion percentage rose from 59.9% to 66.5%, and his yards-per-attempt increased from 6.8 to 8.4, reflecting significant improvement.

What were the main criticisms of Drew Allar during his time at Penn State?

Critics suggested that Allar was not the best fit for the offensive scheme, which favored quicker, more mobile quarterbacks over his ability to stretch the field.