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The Nittany Lions select Marcus Allen as the final pick of the 2014 Nittany Lion draft. Welcome to the family! pic.twitter.com/rz3riC5zOW
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) February 5, 2014
And just like that, the Penn State 2014 class was full.
Not to be confused with his future teammate, Mark Allen, or the ex-USC and Raiders running back of the same name, Marcus Allen is one of approximately an entire signing class full of defensive backs, although he was one of the first to commit to then-coach Bill O'Brien; just another DC-area get for then-coach Larry Johnson. But unlike most of the rest of his co-signees, who will get their first looks at cornerback, Allen's a safety through and through, a self-described heavy hitter. When asked by our Nick Polak what he likes best about playing the position, he gave the kind of tough-nosed answer we Penn Staters love to see:
Knocking people out!!!! I dream about cocky receivers coming across my face in the middle of the field!!!
Unfortunately, Marcus didn't get to do much knocking out last fall, missing most off his senior season with a nasty ankle injury, a ligament tear that required surgery. Before that, he was a key part of a dominant defense on a state champion team, his presence almost singlehandedly persuading opponents to just keep the ball on the ground. After that junior campaign, the Maryland native had offers from traditional powerhouses near and far, from Michigan to Northwestern to Stanford. If he's fully recovered from his injury, Allen could be asked to step immediately into a major role in the rotation at safety, where major holes open up with the graduations of Malcolm Willis and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, especially if James Franklin and Bob Shoop decide to keep Adrian Amos at safety. But whether sooner or later, Allen's going to get his chance to knock out some cocky receivers while wearing a Penn State uniform.
Starzz:
247Sports: 4 stars (#27 safety, #7 player in Maryland)
Rivals: 3 stars (#23 player in Maryland)
Scout: 4 stars (#22 safety)
ESPN: 3 stars (#61 safety, #19 player in Maryland)
Other Links of Interest:
Marcus Allen Commits to Penn State
Marcus Allen on MaxPreps (high school stats)
Follow Marcus on Twitter, at @Chico_Ehhh.
Welcome to Penn State, Marcus!
