Next to Last Chance U: Dakota Allen and Texas Tech football meet again
By Phil Poling
Season 2 of the binge-worthy Netflix series “Last Chance U” debuted Friday and Dakota Allen caught the eyes of Texas Tech football yet again.
Allen’s path has been an unusual one, but that’s what made him fit right in at East Mississippi Community College. You’ve heard the blueprint, though: attend EMCC if something goes wrong at a Division-1 school, show out on the field when you get an opportunity, then get back to a D-1 program as quick as possible.
Prior to attending EMCC, Allen actually spent two seasons at Texas Tech playing under Kliff Kingsbury. He redshirted as a freshman before finishing second on the team in tackles (87) in 2015; he also made the academic All-Big 12 team that season. Then things went south and Allen ended up attending junior college.
His lone year playing for EMCC was a special one, leading the defense to an 11-1 season and capturing the MACJC title. His 117 tackles were a team-high and ranked eighth in the entire NJCAA; it’s safe to say Allen has a nose for the football, regardless of level.
Kingsbury hasn’t put anything close to a formidable defense on the field since he’s been in Lubbock. Could a player like Allen be the difference-maker that he so desperately craves?
The Red Raiders return their top-two leading tacklers in linebacker Jordyn Brooks and defensive back Jah’Shawn Johnson from 2016, but having a player in your secondary finish that high in tackles is never a good sign for a football team: either he’s really bad at pass coverage and capitalizes on tackles, or the front seven can’t tackle resulting in a last-line-of-defense mantra.
Where does Allen fit on the Red Raiders’ defense in 2017?
“My household where I grew up, we weren’t really a religious family, you know? And I really wanted to get religious because I know God has a plan for me.” – Dakota Allen, Last Chance U
Adding a player who’s dealt with adversity – both on and off the field – and someone with documented leadership abilities could be a giant step for Texas Tech. After all, they’ll attempt to bounce back from a year where they watched their opponents average 43.5 points per game, the most surrendered by any team in the country.
Something away from football that Allen explored during his time at EMCC was religion. During season two of “Last Chance U,” attending bible study at his offensive coordinator’s house and getting baptized gave us a peek into his personal life, albeit brief.
Next: Ranking the 10 most important Big 12 games of 2017
From the opening season’s kickoff, Texas Tech will have their hands full. They begin 2017 with an Eastern Washington team that averaged just over 40-points per game in 2016. One thing’s for certain, though – Allen should give the Red Raiders defense a much-needed boost both on the field, but in the locker room as well.