Wyoming Football: Is Josh Allen a sure-fire franchise quarterback?

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College Production

While Josh Allen has only started 15 FBS college football games, he is considered by many to be one of the most pro-ready players in the 2018 class.

Unlike most college football teams that are obsessed with up-tempo, spread offenses based around run pass option plays and zone reads, Wyoming instead chooses to deploy a pro-style offense, that includes plays under center, and even a fullback. Yes, a fullback.

When reading any scouting report on Josh Allen, the one name that will always come up is Carson Wentz, and with good reason.

Both Allen and Wentz were recruited to their respective schools by coach Craig Bohl, both stand 6-foot-5 and both enter the NFL with experience in a pro-style offense.

Many top college offenses design plays to scheme open receivers and artificially inflate passing yards, but Wyoming incorporates three, five and seven-step drops with more traditional passing concepts. Having experience in Bohl’s offense helped to elevate Carson’s status from a Division II quarterback with only 23 career starts to the second player selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, an experience I’m sure Josh Allen would like to emulate.

Unlike many of his peers, Josh Allen has actually called plays in a huddle. While most up-tempo offenses use large signs on the sideline to inform players what their individual responsibilities are on any given play, in Wyoming this responsibility is placed on Josh’s shoulders. While it does limit just how fast Wyoming is able to play on any given play, it does force Allen into a leadership role on the team, a role he has excelled in.

Not only do Allen’s teammates respect him as a leader, but so do his coaches.

Coach Bohl allows Josh to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage and put his team in the best position to succeed on any given play, based on the formation presented by the opposing defense. This skill is becoming increasingly rarer in NFL prospects, and greatly increases a player’s draft stock.

Simply put, college football doesn’t prepare players for the NFL like it used to.

Instead of teaching players the fundamentals of the game, college coaches are often using their players like chess pieces, putting them in the correct position to succeed and preventing them from having to think too much. Developing the ability to read and dissect a defense quickly is essential to be a modern-day NFL quarterback, and if a player can’t show that they have that skill upon being drafted, they may never develop the skill. Recent selections of players like Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, DeShone Keizer and Jameis Winston prove just how highly scouts value this skillset.

Since Josh Allen has already proven to scouts that he can read defenses, call plays and perform three, five and seven-step drops, he is leagues ahead of his peers, and is ultimately a much safer bet to have a successful pro career.

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