Better Know a Freshman: Jordan Allen

Lately LSU’s had some pretty solid production out of guys who join a recruiting class late in the process. The two best recent examples are Justin Jefferson, who has only become one of the best wide receivers in the world, and Lloyd Cushenberry who helped LSU win the Joe Moore Award in 2019 and has been the starting center for the Denver Broncos since he got to the franchise.

LSU’s defied the odds and had lightning strike twice. Can they do it a third time with Jordan Allen?

The Story

A product of newly minted Louisiana high school football superpower LCA, Jordan Allen had a long list of Power 5 schools after him...just not one from the Ed Orgeron LSU coaching staff.

Schools like Baylor, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Miami all offered Allen but it was Penn State who won his initial commitment. But Allen, who was LCA teammates with Sage Ryan, fellow incoming freshman Fitzgerald West, and coached by former Tiger Trev Faulk, always wanted to be a Tiger.

Brian Kelly was hired as the LSU head football coach on November 29, and by December Allen finally had his LSU offer in hand. Allen officially visited two days after getting his offer and committed/signed his LOI a week later.

The Numbers

The Film

The Future

Allen played both safety and corner at LCA and because LSU is so paper thin in the secondary (junior DB Jordan Toles entered the transfer portal a week ago) he may have to play in either capacity in 2022.

Ideally Allen would spend 2022 taking a redshirt year and letting the new look Tiger secondary handle things, but be prepared to see Allen taking meaningful snaps during the meat of LSU’s schedule. Allen’s going to be a key piece for the LSU secondary in the future, but is the future now?

High End: Takes his lumps in 2022 but comes out the other side stronger in 2023 and becomes a multi-year starter that helps LSU become DBU again.

Low End: Gets lost in the shuffle of a pretty deep safety room and eventually passed up by equally talented, younger players in the future.

Realistic: I see Allen being this decade’s version of Ron Brooks. Allen may never be the most talented player in LSU’s secondary over his career or be picked the highest but I’ll bet we see No. 19 play a lot of snaps and make a lot plays over the next three to four years.