Brandon Allen Is the Perfect QB to Deal with Lofty Arkansas Expectations
Three years ago, Arkansas was the toast of the SEC. Former head coach Bobby Petrino was the toast of the SEC, the program had established itself as a contender in the SEC West and was being mentioned in the national title discussion heading into spring practice.
Then, Petrino wrecked his motorcycle and covered up an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, sending the program spiraling into a pit of anonymity.
It stayed there for two-and-a-half seasons, before head coach Bret Bielema—in his second season as the Razorbacks head coach—led the Hogs back into the conversation.
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Part of that resurgence was quarterback Brandon Allen.
Allen completed 190 of 339 passes (56 percent) for 2,285 yards, 20 touchdowns and only six interceptions for the Hogs, and he proved that, at the very least, he can manage the game in a way that Bielema wants for the offense to be successful.
The best is yet to come.
Allen will enter his senior season as the unquestioned leader of an offense that returns star running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, four starters on the offensive line, leading receiver Keon Hatcher and versatile safety valve Hunter Henry at tight end.
He's the perfect player at the perfect time to lead Arkansas back.
"When you see a kid who's going into his senior year who has been through so many trials and tribulations and there are so many good players coming back around him, that gets me excited," Bielema told B/R. "I think he's going to be bigger, faster and stronger. I know that may not seem to carry a lot of weight with quarterbacks, but it does. He'll be more physical and allow him to take those hits through a 12-game season."
That's been the issue with Allen in the past.
He injured his shoulder in the third game of the 2013 season diving into the end zone, and he fought through it for an entire season. Last year, Allen injured his ankle against Ole Miss in late November, which forced him out of the second half of the win over the Rebels. The next week against Missouri, Allen fought through pain and constant pressure from the Tigers to keep his Hogs in the game until the end.
His toughness is something that impresses Bielema.
"There's three things I can't wait to see come out of his senior year," Bielema said. "He's incredibly tough, he's a very smart football player, and the biggest person who wants to have success in our football program is Brandon Allen."
Success might be coming, too.
After shutting out Ole Miss and LSU in November, and following it up by holding Texas to a lob wedge worth of total offense (59 yards) in the win in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, Arkansas has vaulted into the SEC West discussion.
The Sporting News went so far as to rank the Hogs fourth in the country in its way-too-early Top 10. That preseason hype is something Bielema addressed head-on when he met with the players once they returned to campus.
"There's nobody that ended the season any stronger than we did, but is that going to be our ending point? Are you happy at 7-6?" Bielema asked his players. "Their answer was a resounding 'no.'"
Allen is the most important piece of that puzzle.
He has already proven that he's resilient, tough and can manage the offense. Now, he has the weapons to transform himself from a game manager to a difference maker.
What's more, new offensive coordinator Dan Enos, while a pro-style coach, has produced 3,000-yard passers in four of the last five seasons at Central Michigan.
Don't sleep on Allen taking another massive step forward in 2014.
He has experience and continuity working in his favor, and the change to Enos should only accelerate his progression.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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