When backup quarterback Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal and departed Penn State for Missouri at the start of the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff run last season, he left a huge hole on the roster. His game-winning second-half performance two months earlier at Wisconsin was proof positive of that.
It is up to either Jaxon Smolik or Ethan Grunkmeyer to fill that key roster spot in 2025. Or try to.
Drew Allar is firmly implanted as the starting quarterback — in fact, he’s one of the top college quarterbacks in the country. But what happens if Allar gets injured, as was the case vs. the Badgers, or must miss even a few plays? Who will step in — Smolik or Grunk? Both performed well in the Blue-White Game. And that was a bit of a surprise on Smolik’s part, since he was returning from surgery and an ensuing extended absence.
On Saturday, head coach James Franklin said he was not sure. “…It could be there’s a gap by one of them, and it’s clear who the No. 2 quarterback is,” Franklin said. “Or, this will go through the season.”
The Nittany Lions’ quarterback coach, Danny O’Brien, a former accomplished QB1 at the college level, said the powers that be are not in a rush to name a No. 2. (Unless Chad Power walks through the door…again.)
“I don’t think there’s an exact formula for it,” O’Brien said. “I think the mistake that you can make is, if you put a deadline on it and it is close, did you really make the right decision?”
Here is what the two potential QB2’s have to say about it. Plus, additional insight from Franklin, O’Brien and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki (all from Saturday’s Penn State football media day):
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAY
SMOLIK (6-1, 213) is a redshirt sophomore from Iowa, who missed the 2024 season with a left leg injury. He appeared in one game in 2023.
SMOLIK’S TAKE: “I love competing with Grunk. He’s a great player. We respect each other a bunch. It’s fun to have that kind of dynamic in the quarterback room. There’s no animosity. It’s a competitive environment — both of us are pushing each other in different ways, so that’s fun for me.
The injury “was obviously very challenging. It’s hard to go through something like that. It tears at you mentally. Coming back from that showed me that I have that drive, which is something that I really needed to see out of myself. I stayed attentive in the meetings, stayed focused and worked extra on my own on my throws in the rehab room. It’s putting your head down and doing the work when nobody’s watching. It comes down to what you do in the dark.
“My ability to overcome adversity and the drive to play this game I love is my biggest strength. I’ve had a lot of injuries in my career, including high school. High school was a tough time for me, because of not being recruited very highly. My drive is really special and my family has told me how much this drive is important to my life.”
GRUNKMEYER (6-2, 212) is a redshirt freshman from Ohio. He appeared in one contest last season, against SMU in a first-round College Football Playoff game in Beaver Stadium. He was 1 of 2 for nine yards, with an interception.
GRUNK’S TAKE: “Whatever they need to make the decision is up to them. Coach Franklin has been the head coach at Penn State longer than I’ve been here, so I trust him with his judgment. What can I do to get better? I just need to focus on my day to day.
“Right now, one of my strengths is being a play-maker, making plays off-schedule. Something that I can work on, and learn from Drew, is being a smart but aggressive quarterback and learning the overall game. I need to be able to take what the team needs, like checking the ball down on third-and-short and not trying to force the ball downfield.
The relationship with Smolik “is super important. Some people can take that competition into things off the field. But here, relationships are everything. And that can take you far. For us to maintain a relationship is important. We’re really good friends. Ever since I’ve been here, he’s been helpful to me. And during practice, we help each other out all the time. I’m really grateful for the kind of relationship we’ve built.
WHAT THE COACHES SAY
JAMES FRANKLIN, by trade, is a former college quarterback. And quarterback and wide receivers coach, and offensive coordinator. He’s been successful at picking the right QB at PSU, after inheriting Christian Hackenberg — Trace McSorley followed by Sean Clifford followed by Drew Allar. Ultimately, he has the No. 1 pick when it comes to QB2.
FRANKLIN’S TOP TAKE: “To be honest with you, if it’s close all season, it could go into next year in terms of how this thing plays out.” MORE FRANKLIN: “So that one in the spring was really tightly contested. I thought Jaxon would be rusty coming back, but he wasn’t. He had a great spring. So this thing is, I think, going to go right down to the wire. Depending, if it finishes up like it did in the spring, it could continue throughout the entire year. If it’s close, if there’s a gap, there’s a gap. But if it’s close, I think the competition could go throughout the year — whoever has the best week that week is going to be the backup quarterback type of deal, just based on how close it was this spring. They have both made it interesting. They both have traits that you get excited about. It will be a really important competition.”
ANDY KOTELNICKI, as O-coordinator, runs the show with the Nittany Lions’ offense. During practice, he is very hands- (and voice-) on when it comes to the Penn State quarterbacks.
COACH K’S TOP TAKE: “Both of these guys have done a great job. Their grasp and understanding of what we’re doing offensively, specifically, is higher, for sure this year. It’s evident with their approach, their preparation, meetings, how they handle the huddle.” MORE KOTELNICKI: “I’m impressed with both, how they were in spring, how they left it and through the summer because there’s a lot of development that comes after that. I’m looking forward to that battle continuing. This program is all about competition. When you have competition in the quarterback room, I think it’s awesome.”
DANNY O’BRIEN, the quarterback coach, is with Grunkmeyer and Smolik every day, on and off the field. It’s a small QB room, with just five players. He knows them better than anyone on the staff. A former college quarterback, he was ACC freshman of the year when he played for Franklin (the OC) at Maryland. O’Brien is in his fifth year at PSU.
O’BRIEN’S TOP TAKE: “They have a lot of shared strengths. They are both elite preparers at the position. They’re very high IQ guys, quick learners. They can take it from film to a walkthrough to practice very quickly. Which is why it has been so close, because they’re both very prepared.” MORE O’BRIEN: “If you did a Venn diagram of them, there would be more overlap than different parts. Grunkmeyer’s strength would be that he’s a very good anticipatory thrower, seeing windows. He sees the game very well. And that’s not to say Jackson doesn’t. Jackson has that kind of Midwestern grit to him. He’s a very tough kid, very athletic. He can throw the ball very well, too.
