Eric Boggs
For decades, Penn State’s most successful chapters under center have carried a distinctly Ohio flavor. From national champions to record-setters, a steady line of Buckeye State quarterbacks has defined the Nittany Lions’ offensive identity. That lineage now continues with freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer, an Olentangy High School product stepping into the spotlight as Penn State’s latest Ohio-born leader.
The tradition began in the early 1980s when Todd Blackledge of North Canton guided Penn State to its first national title in 1982, earning the Davey O’Brien Award and Sugar Bowl MVP honors along the way. Just four years later, Cincinnati Moeller’s John Shaffer followed in his footsteps, piloting the Nittany Lions to their second national championship with an incredible 25-1 record as a starter.
That Ohio-to-Penn-State pipeline remained strong into the modern era. Youngstown’s Daryll Clark became a program great from 2008–09, earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors while rewriting the school record books. Cincinnati St. Xavier’s Sean Clifford followed, leaving Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions’ all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and completions from 2019–2022. Then came Medina’s Drew Allar, a five-star phenom whose strong play guided Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024 before a season-ending injury cut his 2025 campaign short.
And now, it’s Grunkemeyer’s turn.
For the Olentangy native, his rise to Penn State’s starting quarterback role is both unexpected and poetic. Just a few miles north of Ohio Stadium, Grunkemeyer grew up surrounded by scarlet and gray. His mother, Megan McCabe, once played basketball for the Buckeyes. His childhood Saturdays were spent watching Ohio State games, including the unforgettable 39–38 comeback win over Penn State in 2017. He once dreamed of taking the field in the Horseshoe wearing Ohio State’s colors — a dream that will come true in setting, if not in uniform, when he leads Penn State against the Buckeyes this weekend.
“Since I was a kid, I dreamed about playing in that stadium,” Grunkemeyer said earlier this week. “Obviously everyone around where I’m from is a Buckeye fan. But coming here, I’ve grown to be a huge Penn State fan. It’s a dream come true to be able to play in that game.”
Despite growing up a short drive from Columbus, Grunkemeyer never received a scholarship offer from Ohio State. He was a late riser in the 2024 recruiting cycle, finishing as the nation’s No. 7 quarterback and No. 105 overall prospect. Ohio State, meanwhile, landed Air Noland and former five-star Dylan Raiola, both ultimately went elsewhere, before Alabama recruit Julian Sayin transferred in after the retirement of Nick Saban.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day still speaks highly of the hometown product, calling him “a very talented young man” and praising his intelligence, leadership, and competitiveness. That respect reflects the high regard Grunkemeyer earned across central Ohio, where his maturity and work ethic stood out as much as his arm strength.
Now, just one start into his college career, Grunkemeyer faces his biggest test yet against a top-ranked Ohio State defense that has allowed only three passing touchdowns all season. His first outing at Iowa was rocky — 93 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions — but the freshman says he’s grown since then, using the bye week to gain confidence and rhythm with his teammates.
Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith has made it clear the Nittany Lions won’t put the entire game on the young quarterback’s shoulders. “We can’t ask him to go out there and throw the ball 45 times,” Smith said. “We have to run the football, simplify the reads, and put him in position to succeed.”
Helping Grunkemeyer prepare is Allar himself, another Ohio native who knows firsthand how difficult it is to face the Buckeyes in Columbus. Grunkemeyer said Allar has offered advice on reading Ohio State’s complex defensive looks and staying composed under pressure — lessons that could prove invaluable on Saturday.
For Grunkemeyer, this game is more than a matchup between two top Big Ten programs. It’s a homecoming, a chance to prove himself on the same field he once dreamed of playing on as a kid. He’ll be surrounded by family, friends, and familiar faces — many of them Buckeye fans — as he adds his own chapter to Penn State’s long-running story of Ohio-born quarterbacks.
From Blackledge to Shaffer, Clark to Clifford, and Allar to Grunkemeyer, the connection between Ohio high school football and Penn State’s quarterback legacy continues to thrive. And while his path took him away from the scarlet and gray, Grunkemeyer’s journey is proof that Ohio’s quarterback factory doesn’t just fuel Ohio State — it helps power one of its greatest rivals, too.
