Why Steelers are 'uninstalling' everything QB Drew Allar learned at Penn State

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The transition from college to the pros can come with some twists and turns. Some players enter with immaculate fundamentals, while others need some coaching to relearn their tendencies.

Drew Allar is the latter so far in Pittsburgh. Initial reports from Steelers' coaches are tweaking the footwork he learned at Penn State and trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to Allar.

Still far from a starting job, it will be up to Allar to attempt a 180 and recover. He is still just 22 years old, giving him plenty of time to adjust to the NFL level. 

Here's what to know about the Steelers' criticism of Allar and attempts to undermine what Penn State taught him.

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Why Steelers are 'uninstalling' everything Drew Allar learned

After four years at Penn State, Allar was a solid performer, but never lived up to his high school pedigree. He improved over his four years with the Nittany Lions and had a change at QB coach entering his junior season, the best of his college career. 

Now, after seeing the mechanics he's displayed in camp, the Steelers are trying to implement some changes. It's been described in some ways, as though Allar is a computer, needing to clear his cache and upload new fundamentals to succeed at the next level. 

SportsCenter had a recent segment on the Steelers' camp with updates on what Allar was learning thus far. 

"They are essentially uninstalling everything he's learned and re-uploading their own methods and fundamentals and mechanics with Allar," said ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

In terms of the specific pieces to improve in his game, Pryor cites his footwork. 

"They're working on widening his space, keeping him off of his toes," Pryor said.

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Drew Allar Penn State career

In high school, Allar was the No. 1 overall prospect in his class, with many schools vying for his services. Allar chose Penn State, but never truly lived up to the hype of a five-star QB. He was a two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention, but never won any major awards at the conference or national level.

YearGamesCompletion PCTPassing YardsTouchdowns20221058.3%344420231359.9%26312520241666.5%3327242025664.8%11008

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Who was Drew Allar's QB coach at Penn State?

Allar had two quarterback coaches in his time at Penn State. During his first two seasons in 2022-23, then-offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich doubled as the QBs coach. 

In 2024-2025, quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien taught Allar what he knows. In his first season under O'Brien, Allar set a career high in passing yards and completion percentage. He finished third in the Big Ten that season in passing yards.

Drew Allar contract details

Allar's rookie contract with the Steelers is worth about $7.1 million over four years, according to Spotrac. 

He is not expected to start right away in Pittsburgh, but rather to develop over time. 

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