Scouting Report on 4-Star Jake Allen, 2017 UF Commitment
When news broke that the University of Florida picked up a verbal commitment from 4-star QB Jake Allen, the Twitter world went nuts.
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My timeline was jammed with giddy Gator fans who couldn’t wait to proclaim Allen as the next great Gator quarterback.
I was initially hesitant over the fervor and the excitement that Allen’s announcement caused.
I decided to try to take a closer look at Allen’s skills myself and figure out all the hoopla surrounding the Ft. Lauderdale, FL product.
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Needless to say, I came away impressed but not to the extent of proclaiming Allen as a QB savior.
Strengths
- Even as a junior, Allen has the prototypical size you look for in a quarterback. Allen stands at 6’3 and could potentially grow even bigger, making seeing the defense over the Gator O-line a nonissue.
- Allen without a doubt fits the type of QB Jim McElwain is looking for in his pro-style attack. A natural passer, Allen is ahead of the curve in terms of looking like a Division I quarterback.
- The form and poise in the pocket Allen has is remarkable. Every throw he makes has the same exact form and mechanics. Allen continually leaves all his momentum on his front foot as he throws the football, leading to strong, accurate throws.
- Mobility and movement work in his favor; Allen won’t be a sitting statue when the defense crashes in on him.
- Has fantastic touch on his throws. Allen doesn’t try to do too much with the football and force throws in places he shouldn’t.
Weaknesses
- He has to get stronger and fill out his frame. Allen won’t survive SEC play if he comes to Gainesville at less than 200 pounds.
- Didn’t see any plays where Allen took a snap from under center, had to read the defense and make the correct throw, something McElwain’s offense is predicated on.
- Allen has to improve his arm strength. The wide-open throws he made in high school will be much smaller windows in the SEC.
- Allen was just promoted from a 3-star recruit to four stars, which is why big-time college programs like Alabama or even Florida State weren’t sniffing around. Has he reached his potential already?
True, this is Jim McElwain’s second commitment for the 2017 recruiting class and it’s a good stepping stone for the future.
McElwain can use the commitment of Allen to attract other big-time talent.
But to say Allen is already a world-beater and is ready for college football now is just not true.
There is still plenty of work for Allen to do in order to deserve the hype that Gator fans were already spitting on Twitter.
But there was enough in the few pieces of highlight film that I saw from Allen that makes me optimistic for his future as a quarterback.
He may not be a finished product yet, but things could be vastly different two years from now.
What do you think? Does Allen deserve the hype that he is already receiving? We want to know!