Medina's Drew Allar to stay in Pennsylvania after Steelers draft him

Drew Allar got drafted by his childhood enemy. A lifetime Browns fan, the 2022 Medina High graduate and 2021 Ohio Mr. Football winner was take by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 12th pick in the third round of the NFL Draft (76th overall) on Friday night. "(We're) very excited to have Drew in our room," Pittsburgh quarterbacks coach Tom Arth told Steelers.com. "Drew's a young man who I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know since he was pretty young. I was coaching in college in Ohio at the University of Akron when Drew was in high school, so I've been watching Drew since he probably was 14 or 15 years old." Arth, a standout quarterback at St. Ignatius High and John Carroll University, is a fan of the 6-foot-5½, 227-pound, 22-year-old Allar despite a subpar senior season at Penn State that ended prematurely due to a broken ankle. Heading into his final year with the Nittany Lions, Allar was considered a possible first-round pick, with a few websites and draft experts mentioning him as the potential No. 1 overall pick, but that never materialized under coach James Franklin, as Penn State continued to struggle in games against top-tier opponents. "You saw the talent, you saw the ability, you certainly saw the stature and all of those things," Arth said. "To see what he's accomplished and how far he's come is really special for me. Now to have the chance to have him here in Pittsburgh and in our quarterback room I think is outstanding." A year ago, the Steelers drafted Ohio State quarterback Will Howard after he led the Buckeyes to a national championship. Veteran Aaron Rodgers is expected to be the team's starter when training camp opens. Allar had his best college season as a junior in 2024 when he started all 16 games, completing 262-of-394 passes (.665) for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Medina product opened his college career with 311 passing attempts without an interception, an FBS record, but struggled in big-game, high-pressure situations, much like Penn State has for years. Allar's size, arm strength and potential, however, made him impossible for the Steelers to pass up. Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com.