Penn State Football: Is Marcus Allen the Nittany Lions’ next great safety?
After deciding to stay in school for his senior season, could this be the year Marcus Allen cements himself as one of Penn State’s all time great safeties?
On Oct. 1, 2016, Marcus Allen recorded 22 total tackles in Penn State’s 29-26 overtime victory against Minnesota.
While this performance was impressive, having recorded the most tackles of any Penn State player since Paul Posluszny in 2005 and fourth-most in Penn State history, it only fixated the national spotlight on something Happy Valley had long known: Allen is a fantastic safety.
After arriving on campus in the fall of 2014 as a three-star recruit out of Upper Marlboro, Md., Allen appeared in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions during his freshman campaign, including seven consecutive starts to end the season. While playing alongside future fourth-round pick Adrian Amos, Allen recorded 58 tackles, a sack and three passes defended.
Marcus went on to follow up his impressive freshman campaign by starting 12 games as a true sophomore in 2015, missing only the team’s Week 5 game against Army due to an injury, and recorded 81 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles as the Nittany Lions’ free safety. While this campaign was impressive, it would go on to serve as a nice preview of things to come.
The 2016 season saw Allen come into his own as a player for the blue and white. He recorded a career-high in tackles, finishing with a whopping 110 tackles over 14 starts, the most of any Penn State safety since the 1960s. He also recorded six tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal in the team’s Week 8 victory against Ohio State.
Allen’s performance in 2016 drew serious interest from NFL teams, but he ultimately decided to forgo the pros for one more season and return to Happy Valley to finish what he started in 2016.
After losing strong safety Malik Golden to the pros and top corner John Reid to a potential season ending knee injury, Allen will be thrust into a more prominent leadership role for the Nittany Lions in 2017, a role that he should thrive in.
Moreover, his combination of size, speed and instincts are incredibly intimidating for opposing quarterbacks, and his ability to read the field and track the ball are sure to make him a high selection in the 2018 NFL Draft.
While Allen has yet to record an interception for the Nittany Lions, his ability to play either safety position will make him indispensable in the forthcoming season, regardless of who is lined up across from him. Having an experienced safety entrenched in the defensive backfield will discourage opposing quarterbacks from attempting deep balls and instead funnel opposing team’s play-calling into the box.
The senior has earned his fair share of national acclaim following a stellar 2016 season, and 2017 could very well be the year he becomes a star. Much like running back Saquon Barkley on the offensive side of the ball, Allen’s name has graced a number of 2018 mock drafts recently, and as he readies himself for the next phase of his career its worth wondering how he will stack up to Penn State’s all time great safeties.
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If Marcus can continue to blossom and deliver an even better performance in the 2017 season, it will go a long way towards cementing his Nittany Lion legacy.