When Noah turns into a puddle at his desk after finding out about the oral presentation, it is a reference to Larisa Oleynik's powers from her role as Alex Mack in The Secret World of Alex Mack.
Noah is a drummer, just like dad Tom Everett Scott's character Guy Patterson in That Thing You Do!.
Embry's name is likely a nod to Tom Everett Scott's That Thing You Do! co-star Ethan Embry.
Steve Zahn and Tom Everett Scott both played bandmate characters in That Thing You Do!.
Steve Zahn (the voice of Dude) played Frank Heffley in the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid trilogy while Tom Everett Scott (Marvin Ferris) played Frank Heffley in the 4th movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul.