UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State junior quarterback Drew Allar was named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, while junior defensive end Abdul Carter was selected a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award on Tuesday. Carter added two weekly national honors, earning Bednarik Award Player of the Week and Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually, by the Maxwell Football Club, to the outstanding defensive player in college football.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is the fourth-oldest award in college football and is presented by David McDermott Lexus of New Haven.
Abdul Carter · Jr. · DE · 6-3 · 252 · Philadelphia, Pa. · La Salle College High School
- Selected semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy.
- Member of watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch Lists.
- Tabbed a Preseason All-American by the Action Network (1st team), Associated Press (2nd team), CBS (2nd team), ESPN (2nd team), The Athletic (2nd team) and the Walter Camp Award.
- Garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and second-team from the media as a linebacker in 2023 and named second-team All-Big Ten by the media and third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches in 2022.
- Tabbed second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
- Made switch from linebacker to defensive end following 2023 season.
- Owns 144 tackles (85 solo), 31.5 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, five forced fumbles, an interception and 12 pass breakups in his third season in Happy Valley.
- Has six career games with 2+ tackles for loss and five games with 2+ sacks.
- In 2024, has 40 tackles (24 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
- Carter sits third in the FBS (1st in B1G) with 15.5 tackles for loss and is 11th nationally (2nd) with eight sacks.
- Ranks fifth among Power Four defensive linemen, and second in the Big Ten, with 24 solo tackles.
- Against Kent State, tallied four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
- Notched a career-high four tackles for loss and two sacks, including a strip-sack, against Illinois.
- Earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Senior Bowl Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Award Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Player of the Week honors following the Illinois game.
- Had three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against UCLA.
- At USC, recorded a solo sack among 1.5 tackles for loss.
- Collected two sacks and four tackles vs. Ohio State.
- He notched six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble against Washington. He had two tackles for loss, including a strip-sack, in the first quarter.
Drew Allar · Jr. · QB · 6-5 · 238 · Medina, Ohio · Medina
- Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10.
- Is a member of the Maxwell Award and Reese’s Senior Bowl watch lists.
- In his Penn State career, Allar has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 4,981 yards and 42 touchdowns, while adding 430 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
- Ranks first in school history in career interception percentage (1.06) and completion percentage (63.1).
- He is second in program history in pass efficiency (145.2), sixth in carer touchdown passes (42), eighth in touchdown pass percentage (6.35), completions (417) and total offense (5,411), ninth in touchdowns responsible for (50) and 11th in career passing yards (4,981) and career pass attempts (661).
- Since 1956, Allar is the only FBS quarterback with 600+ pass attempts, 40+ passing touchdowns and 7 or less interceptions in their career.
- Allar has 13 career games with multiple touchdown passes, 13 game with 200+ passing yards and three 300-yard passing games.
- In 2024, Allar has completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 2,006 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for three scores.
- He ranks 11th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten with a 80.2 quarterback rating (QBR).
- He sits seventh in the country in yards per pass attempt (9.46; 3rd in B1G), eighth in pass efficiency (165.3; 4th), ninth in completion percentage (70.3; 5th) and 23rd in yards per completion (13.46; 2nd).
- Against West Virginia, he threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns. He was named to the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8.
- He threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns against Bowling Green, while rushing for a 5-yard touchdown.
- Threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a 5-yard rushing score, against Kent State.
- Against UCLA, threw for 237 yards and a touchdown and added a 1-yard touchdown rush.
- At USC, completed 30-of-43 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns. The 391 yards are sixth-most in a game by a PSU quarterback.
- Completed 20-of-29 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown against Washington.
The Davey O’Brien Foundation will announce its three finalists on Tuesday, November 26.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and an All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. The three finalists for the award will be revealed on November 26.
The Walter Camp Award Player of the Year watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in early November and the three finalists will be announced on November 26.
The winners of all three awards will be announced live during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN on December 12, 2024.
The formal presentation of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
No. 6 Penn State travels to Purdue on Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
For club and ticket information for the 2024 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.