Coach -

Penn State enters 2025 with all the pieces for a Big Ten title run: an elite defense, a loaded backfield, and a quarterback in Drew Allar who’s proven he can win games by being efficient and mistake-free. When Allar completes over 62% of his throws, the Lions don’t lose—and that efficiency starts with how quarterbacks are taught to process the game.

“By the time the quarterback takes his second step, he should already know where the ball is going—based on what he saw before the snap and how the defense reacts after.”

Video: Pre-Snap Recognition & Post-Snap Confirmation

Why it matters for QB development:

James Franklin emphasizes that quarterback play is decided before the ball is even snapped. Pre-snap recognition allows the QB to anticipate pressure, coverage, and leverage. That means identifying safety depth, corner alignment, box count, and pressure indicators—giving him a strong expectation of where the ball should go.

But recognition alone isn’t enough. Post-snap confirmation is the second layer—using the defense’s first two steps to verify or adjust the plan. If the coverage rotates or the blitz comes, the quarterback isn’t guessing—he’s confirming. By his second step in the drop, the ball has a destination.

This process—anticipate before, confirm after—is what separates efficient, decisive quarterbacks from hesitant ones. Franklin’s approach ties every rep to this sequence, giving his QBs a mental map that turns pre-snap pictures into post-snap execution.

Penn State Outlook 2025:

The Lions lean on their ground game (Singleton, Allen, Martin Jr.), an efficient Allar, and one of the country’s best defenses to make a serious title push. The key question: can the retooled receiver room stretch the field enough to unlock explosive balance? If so, Penn State has the toughness, depth, and identity to break through.

—Coach Grabowski & The CoachesClinic Team

Other Clinics from the Penn State Staff:

Penn State Football Culture - Unrivaled - James Franklin

Building a Winning Culture - James Franklin

Penn State Defensive Circuit Drills - Terry Smith

Linebacker Fundamentals - Jim Knowles

Playing Offense On Defense - Jim Knowles

Distorting the Defense with RPO`s - Andy Kotelnicki

Developing an Offensive Game Plan - Andy Kotelnicki

Building a Special Teams Culture - Justin Lustig

Special Teams Topics and Organization - Justin Lustig

Developing a Run Game Plan in a Multiple Offense - Bill Queisert

Creating Special Teams Buy-In & Kickoff Drills - Allen Tucker