Penn State QBs coach Danny O’Brien during a practice on Aug. 3, 2024. Photo by Paul Burdick | For StateCollege.com
Through two games as starter, Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has drawn mixed reviews.
The Nittany Lions lost both games, at Iowa 25-24 and at Ohio State 38-14, but they avoided pre-snap penalties and the moment never seemed too big for the redshirt freshman. His teammates have described him as calm and composed and said he had no issues calling the huddle.
Grunkemeyer combined for 34 completions on 56 attempts for 238 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions. While his stat lines were subpar, most of Grunkemeyer’s struggles seemed physical rather than mental, which are sometimes easier to correct.
“Obviously, the results as a team are not what we wanted,” quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien said Thursday. “I’ll tell you what … there’s a lot of really good things to build on each week. There’s things that we attack to get better based off the film.”
O’Brien referenced Grunkemeyer’s mentality since arriving on campus, preparing like a starter during practice which is a theme players and coaches continuously stress.
“He’s been super impressive, and he’s really embodied staying ready, so you don’t have to get ready,” O’Brien said. “He expects to play well. Certainly, like I said, things to improve on, but he’s a talented kid with a bright future for sure.”
Grunkemeyer, a former four-star recruit out of Ohio, was ranked as the No. 7 quarterback in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports composite. Other quarterbacks in his class include Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Florida’s DJ Lagway, Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr., all of whom have produced strong early returns.
While his first two starts have come against elite defenses in hostile environments, his numbers haven’t been impressive. For O’Brien, he’s more focused on the process: Is Grunkemeyer working through his progressions, making the right reads and scrambling when necessary?
“We did a really good job at, our eyes being in the right spot against Ohio State. Did we miss a couple throws? Sure, let’s go work on that this week. Hey, but your eyes were in the right spot every time in the drop back game. That’s growth.”
O’Brien said he shows his quarterback cut up film of successful plays to demonstrate what should be done, and focuses on the process over the final result.
Against No. 2 Indiana, O’Brien is calling for support from the home crowd in Grunkemeyer’s first start inside Beaver Stadium.
“We’ve all been through a lot. We all get it. It’s the nature of the beast,” O’Brien said. “But if you talk about a young quarterback making his first start at home, you know that stuff does matter in terms of the atmosphere and the vibe of the stadium … You’d love to have this Penn State family rally around a team that’s in turmoil and trying to dig their way out of it.”
