Oh, Hello: Three-Star DB Jordan Allen Commits to Penn State

THE SKINNY

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 182-pounds

Hometown/High School: Lafayette, LA (Lafayette Christian Academy)

Ranking: ★★★ (0.8789 247Sports Composite — No. 494 overall)

Notable Offers: Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UCF, Wisconsin

HIGHLIGHTS

THE TALE

The Nittany Lions have been recruiting Allen since January when they offered him during a stretch in which he earned 24 scholarship offers over a one-month period. Since then, the two sides have been in consistent contact and building a strong relationship, not just with his primary recruiter Terry Smith, but the entire coaching staff. A true testament to that relationship is the fact that Allen committed to Penn State despite never visiting State College. He did, however, take trips to both Louisville and Miami last month, two of his other five finalists. Also, finalists in his recruitment were Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. That makes his commitment to the Nittany Lions, a bit of a surprise, especially those with more of an outside view on his recruitment.

Overall, it’s a great get for the Nittany Lions as Allen shows some high upside but also for the fact that they had to go up against four schools from the South to land him (or five depending on if you consider Louisville as the south). While the program has had greater success below the DMV over the last few recruiting cycles, it’s always a plus for a northern school like Penn State to beat out a bunch of southern schools for a southern prospect.

OUTLOOK

Allen may not be one of the higher-rated recruits in the 2022 recruiting class for the Nittany Lions, but it’s easy to see why the coaching staff felt good about taking him in this class. Under Franklin, Penn State has always had a thing for tall and athletic defensive backs and Allen surely fits that mold at 6-foot-0 and 182-pounds. His 73-inch wingspan is just a bit off the NFL average and with the chance to still add a few more inches to his frame, that wingspan may only get bigger as well. Athletically, his 4.53 forty-yard dash time is nothing to scoff at, and his 27.5-inch vertical points to strong explosiveness.

On the field, Allen has been extremely productive for Lafayette Christian Academy and has shown why he goes by the nickname of “Lockdown”. Per a 247Sports’s article by Cardinal Authority Insider Jody Demling, Allen posted 60 tackles and five interceptions this past season.

Allen isn’t going to be a day one type player on the field but due to his great size and athleticism, he fits the mold of how Penn State likes to develop their secondary. With some development and refinement of his skillset, Allen could develop into an impact player for the Nittany Lions but at the very least, Allen should be a solid and consistent corner that the coaching staff can trust to make the routine plays.