Beau Pribula, Penn States backup quarterback, announced Sunday night that he is entering the transfer window and will not be with the team for the College Football Playoff.

Pribula wrote on social media that the “overlapping CFB playoff and transfer portal timeline” forced him into a “impossible decision.”

During a news conference Monday, days before Penn State hosts SMU in the first round of the CFP, James Franklin was asked about Pribula’s choice. Franklin called Pribula “a wonderful young man” and said the former Central York star found himself in a “no-win situation” with the college football calendar.

Later in his press conference, Franklin said Penn State looked for scenarios to allow Pribula to remain with the team through the CFP despite portaling, but nothing perfect came about. Franklin said Pribula was at practice yesterday but was distracted by the pressures of scheduling visits, finishing school and more.

Here is Franklin’s response to the initial question about Pribula.

“Beau Pribula has been a phenomenal teammate, has been a big reason why we’re where we are right now. Parents, great. High school coaches, awesome. Being a backup quarterback is not an easy thing to do, and he approached it never that way. Had so much confidence in our team based on how he went about it and prepared as a starter, which is something we talk about all the time. He’s a man’s man. He came into my office and had several conversations with me about this process. We talked last week and had no intentions of going. But we have problems in college football.

“I can give you my word, Beau Pribula didn’t want to leave our program. He didn’t want to leave our program until the end of the season. But the way the portal is, the timing of it, the way our team plays, and when you play the position of quarterback and there’s only one spot and those spots are filling up, it felt like he was placed in a no-win situation, and I agree with him.

“Number one, I hate it for Beau Pribula. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the student-athlete. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of college football. But I think that’s our challenge right now. Who really runs college football and making the best decisions for the student-athletes and for our sport as a whole?Beau should not be put in this position.

“Whether we don’t play as many games in the season, if we don’t play conference championship games, which might be similar to the team that doesn’t play in them anyway. End the season to be more in line with the academic calendar of most institutions, because it also is part of that pressure. Having a transfer portal or free agency going on in the middle of the playoffs, it’s just a bunch of things that don’t really make sense.

“… Beau Pribula is a wonderful young man. And I would recruit him every year. Knowing everything I know right now, I would recruit Beau. Beau grew up wanting to come to Penn State his whole life. This is his dream school. And he had a phenomenal career here. And I just want everyone to understand that, most importantly. And why did we create a system where this guy couldn’t finish this season with his team?

“There are going to be people who are going to say he could have. But personally and professionally, I always try to take a deep breath and look at things from both perspectives. And in my mind as the head coach of Penn State, obviously I have a responsibility to Penn State and our football program. But I also feel like I have a responsibility to Beau Pribula. I hate it for him, and I don’t think it’s right for college football.”

Pribula’s decision to leave is understandable given what happened on Monday. News broke it Drew AllarPenn State’s starting quarterback, expected to return for the 2025 season.

Pribula was a versatile change-of-pace option for offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Pribula recorded 187 offensive snaps this season. He rushed for 242 yards and five touchdowns and helped the Nittany Lions put their opponents on their heels.

Franklin talked all year about how defenses have to prepare for what the versatile QB can do. Now, Kotelnicki must remove the “Pribula package” from the playbook against SMU.

There is also the scenario of Allar being damaged in the common fisheries policy. Pribula filled in admirably and led Penn State to a win at Wisconsin after Allar went out, completing 11 of 13 passes, accounting for 128 yards and throwing a touchdown pass.

The winter transfer portal window opened last week and will be open until December 28. There are already more than 1,700 FBS players in the portal. Many of them are QBs, and many have already found new homes.

Now Pribula will be one of them.

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