Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula (9) scores a touchdown against Maryland during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State finds itself in the unenviable position of embarking on the College Football Playoff without a backup quarterback who has taken a single live-game snap.

Which means it sure better keep starter Drew Allar healthy for as long as the season lasts.

The urgency of that was magnified when No. 2 quarterback Beau Pribula made it official Sunday night that he’s entering the transfer portal and will no longer be with the team as it prepares to host SMU on Saturday (noon, TNT) in the first round of the CFP.

Allar followed suit Monday morning in confirming that he plans to return for the 2025 season, as was expected. The latter contributed to the former, and now the Nittany Lions will get true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer as ready as possible for emergency action.

James Franklin spent most of his Monday press conference discussing the frustrating timetable of the transfer portal, which opened Dec. 9 and closes Dec. 28 except for a five-day window in January for players in the CFP.

Franklin said “I hate” the rule for Pribula and for the Lions’ program and does not believe it’s in the best interest of college football.

In announcing his departure, Pribula said the portal’s overlap with the CFP contributed to an “impossible decision” that he made “with a heavy heart.”

He had numerous conversations with Franklin, who loves Pribula, appreciated the direct interaction and said the QB “did not want to leave our program until the end of the season.”

As recently as last week, Franklin was under the impression that Pribula was staying, but he also noticed the York product was distracted at practice.

Franklin’s long standing rule on players who enter the transfer portal is “if you’re looking, we’re looking.”

He emphasized Monday, however, he felt there needed to be wiggle room in this situation, based on Pribula’s loyalty and importance to the team that is favored to advance to the CFP semifinals.

“We’re not going to have a standard rule for how we operate and dictate everything,” he said. “There’s got to be flexibility within everything to put the program in the best position to be successful.”

They talked through “a ton of different scenarios,” Franklin said, including staying with the team during the CFP while also being in the portal, which has happened frequently elsewhere.

But that became problematic as well.

“In theory, it sounds good,” Franklin said. “(But) I think Beau felt like he was going to have a hard time finishing school, finding a place that he wanted to go to, and still preparing like the starter, like he had been doing all year long.”

Pribula was “getting pressure,” per Franklin, to go on visits as potential suitors were juggling options at the game’s most important position.

Mixing in NIL and financial arrangements would also complicate matters.

Franklin even talked to some of the team leaders for their input.

“With every rule and policy, are there times where you have to revisit the policy and make exceptions?” he said. “We were open to different solutions and coming up with some scenarios that could work for everybody, and we just couldn’t get to a point where everybody felt like it was going to work out in everybody’s best interests.”

Just as he did prior to the Peach Bowl when he and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin lamented the number of opt-outs, Franklin renewed his call for more NCAA leadership.

“Who is really running college football and making the best decisions for the student-athletes and for our sport as a whole?” he said. “Beau should not be put in this position. To have a transfer portal/free agency going on right in the middle of the playoffs, there’s just a lot of things that don’t really make sense.”

Player freedom is at an all-time high – plus they’re getting paid — so it’s hard to be overly sympathetic.

Some players could shift in the April portal and still have a place held for them at a Power-4 conference school.

Pribula, however, may not be one of them.

He made the most of his role, scoring 19 touchdowns – 10 rushing, nine passing – in two seasons, which is darned impressive for a backup, and by all accounts was a respected team leader.

He helped diversify the Lions’ offense, but you can really only play one quarterback.

And clearly Penn State has one in Allar.

Best of luck, Beau Pribula.

Meanwhile, Nittany Nation’s fingers will be crossed.

Neil Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.