Plenty is at stake when Penn State and Notre Dame play in the Orange Bowl on Thursday. While a trip to the College Football Playoff national championship game stands at the forefront, the CFP semifinal could have a major impact on the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Penn State quarterback Drew Allar told the coaching staff he plans to return for his senior season in December, ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates noted he has time to alter plans.
“He still has a window to change his mind if he desires,” Yates wrote on social media.
“In a shallow QB class with a top 10 filled with QB-needy teams, Allar has remained on scouts’ radar in case he does,” Yates added.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid added two dates to watch for a potential Allar draft decision swap.
Per Reid, Jan. 15 is a “‘hard’ deadline for prospects to declare,” while Jan. 24 is an “‘exclusive’ deadline for prospects on two teams participating in FBS title game to declare.”
In most early draft previews, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward stand as the only two quarterbacks expected to be top-10 picks.
Allar would change that by declaring the for the draft, potentially even becoming the No. 1 overall pick.
As big of a loss as he’d be to Penn State, fans might not be too upset if that happens, considering it’s likely he’d only declare if he leads the Nittany Lions to a national championship.
If Penn State comes up short, it’s much more probable Allar follows recent veterans at Michigan and Ohio State who decided against declaring for the NFL Draft early to lead their teams on CFP runs.
In 2023, several Michigan seniors, including running back Blake Corum, wide receiver Roman Wilson, defensive lineman Kris Jenkins and cornerback Mike Sainristil, returned to Ann Arbor and won the program’s first national title since 1997.
This season, Ohio State returned multiple senior starters, including defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, cornerback Denzel Burke, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back TreVeyon Henderson, and is a win away from reaching the national title game for the first time since 2020.
Arguably, no player has more to gain in the CFP semifinals — and potentially the finals — than Allar. If he guides Penn State to a national championship, it’s possible he rides off into the sunset, possibly headed toward Tennessee.
