Tale of the Tape: New Penn State commit Jordan Allen
Penn State is putting the finishing touches on its Class of 2022, and its latest addition is three-star Louisiana corner Jordan Allen.
While he may not have the highest ranking of the class, Allen does have offers from 42 schools across the country. He chose Penn State over schools like Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
With so few spots left for the Nittany Lions, what makes Allen a fit? We’ll look at his film to get a feel for what type of football player he is.
Strengths:
Tackling: Allen really likes to hit people. He’s not just a good tackler for a corner, but rather a good tackler in general. He arrives with square shoulders and has force behind his hits while wrapping up and securing the ball-carrier. His drive downhill is good for closing on underneath routes and makes him a very good zone corner candidate.
Press Coverage: The 6-foot, 180-pound talent spends a lot of time nose-to-nose with opposing receivers. He does a good job of not just getting his hands on a receiver, but intentionally redirecting their route to the sideline by cutting off the inside. He excels at using leverage and body position to win, along with nastiness and strength.
Confidence: Normally this is not a skill or a trait I would highlight, but with Allen it’s apparent that he believes in his skills. He roams the field like a seasoned veteran and does not back down from any receiver or challenge. He gets in the face of players and instigates at the line of scrimmage.
Areas of Development:
Athleticism: Allen can mostly likely hang at corner from an athletic standpoint but it’s not a sure thing. He certainly won’t be able to coast on athleticism alone at the next level like some players. Teams most likely cooled on him after he ran a 4.53 40-yard-dash paired with a 7.80 3-cone drill and sub-30 inch vertical jump.
Yet Allen does a good job of staying in phase with receivers for the most part so his hips don’t seem to be an issue. He doesn’t have blazing speed, which is the biggest issue, but he’s a well-rounded athlete. Aside from his speed, the only obvious problem on film is his ability to drive out of his backpedal and close on routes underneath in zone coverage.
Overagressiveness: The downside of being a press coverage corner is that when you miss, it can be ugly. There aren’t many times, but Allen lunges at receivers and will get off-balance trying to jam players at the line of scrimmage. His balance while at the point of contact could stand to improve from a consistency standpoint. There are things on film he gets away with by being stronger and meaner than his opponent that may not work with his athletic profile going forward.
Recovery Speed: If Allen is beaten he doesn’t have the burst to recover and get back into the play. Whether it’s out of his cut or turning and running after the receiver has beaten his jam, Allen is at a disadvantage when he’s not in control of the rep. He won’t always be in control going forward like he is with his dominant physicality and size at the high school level. There’s some question as to whether he can operate that style realistically going forward.
Related: 10 Things to Know about Cornerback Jordan Allen
Projection:
Corner: The longer you watch Allen, the more he puts those fears about translatability to rest and shows you that he can play corner in college football. He may not be the fastest, nor the most explosive, but he just wins. In a playoff game against Arch Manning and four-star receiver AJ Johnson of Newman High School, he gave up zero yards and zero catches. He was lined up in press coverage and dominated the matchup. Evidence like that is hard to ignore. Allen may just be better than the sum of his parts.
Field Safety: The good news is that at 6-foot, 180 pounds, he’s also an excellent field safety candidate. His skills as a corner are undeniable and would make him a great hybrid player going forward. His football instincts, tackling ability and flexibility to cover in single coverage could make him a breakout player on the back end of the Penn State defense.
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