STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Drew Allar lofted the ball down the far sideline, uncorking the kind of shot play many wanted to see more of from Penn State’s starting quarterback last year.

The ball was perfectly placed and one of Allar’s receivers ran under it and hauled in what would’ve been a touchdown. It was just one throw on the practice field in the middle of August. There was no threat of a pass rush and no defense to read. In the story of this season for No. 8 Penn State, one practice rep in which Allar should’ve and did pass the eye test — and made it look effortless while doing so — might not even mean anything.

But a scout from the Pittsburgh Steelers and a consultant with the Carolina Panthers both stood on the sideline and scribbled notes. It was a reminder that this throw and every moment big and small for Allar this season will be dissected.

“When you come in with external expectations that are that high, can you imagine what the internal expectations you have for yourself are?” Penn State center Nick Dawkins said of his quarterback. “Now, you get that first year out of the way, you settle in, you know who your crowd is. … He’s more comfortable, confident, mature. He’s settled in.”

To see what the scout’s handwritten words read would give one a glimpse into Allar’s NFL potential. An exit after this season for the NFL Draft is far from a given for the 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback, but it is his third season on campus and his second as the starter. Allar’s blue-chip pedigree, where he was five-star prospect in the 2022 class, is a reminder of what he still could be this season. But the struggles of Penn State’s offense last year and the coordinator change that came with it is a harsh reminder that success for what should be, at least on paper, one of the most talented offenses in the Big Ten isn’t automatic.

Whether Allar leads Penn State to the College Football Playoff or if the Nittany Lions’ first-round quarterback draft drought continues (Kerry Collins in 1995 was PSU’s last first-round QB) are questions open to interpretation. Maybe Allar will slot in somewhere between the two extremes. Or maybe a fresh start for this entire offense is what they all needed?

“I’ve been through a lot of things last year,” Allar said this week. “I think I’ve done a great job of learning from it. What I did good, what I didn’t do so good and how to improve upon it. I’m more comfortable now than I have ever have been. … We’re really in a good spot as an offense.”

After a season in which Allar completed 233-of-389 passes (59.9 percent) for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns to two interceptions, some opposing coaches aren’t sure what to make of him. There were moments in Detroit, in College Park and last year against West Virginia and Iowa where Allar looked the part. There were other times, notably in the biggest games against Ohio State, Michigan and Ole Miss, where blanketed receivers and an inefficient offense left everyone baffled. Was he too scared to make a mistake, or was the offense so disjointed that what transpired last year shouldn’t even be taken into account?

One Big Ten position coach, granted anonymity in exchange for his candor, praised Allar’s arm, which he described as “electric.” He thinks he’ll be playing on Sundays in due time. Another coach, a Big Ten defensive assistant, said Allar was “impressive looking in warm-ups,” but after that he was unsure.

“He really struggled in the big games. Looked very tight,” the defensive assistant said. “Can they get him to settle down? I don’t know if they were asking him to do too much (under previous OC Mike Yurcich) or he was trying to be perfect. I’m not sold on him.”

This isn’t the discourse Penn State fans expected to have about the coveted quarterback ahead of his junior season. After that practice throw this month, Allar jogged to the back of the line, popped off his helmet and smiled as he chatted with head coach James Franklin and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien. With the faint line of a mustache growing on his upper lip, Allar no longer looks like the same baby-faced prospect who signed with Penn State as a 17-year-old.

Teammates said they noticed Allar’s growth as a leader this offseason. He regularly met with his receivers and has been vocal, making sure they know where he’s going to put the ball and also that his coaches know which plays he’s most comfortable running. His growth as a leader was reaffirmed this month when he was named a team captain.