Report: Alabama LB Christopher Allen To Return for Senior Season
It appears that one of the University of Alabama's linebackers is going to forgo a chance at the NFL this offseason.
Per a report from Matt Zenitz of AL.com, redshirt junior Christopher Allen will return to the Capstone for the 2021 season instead of turning pro.
This past year, Allen led the Southeastern Conference in tackles for loss with 13 and recorded six sacks in Alabama's magical run to a 2020 national championship over Ohio State.
Allen, the Baton Rouge, La. native, also finished with a career-best 41 total tackles, 25 solo stops, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Him and now sophomore linebacker Will Anderson have the chance to be a formidable force against opposing offenses next season alongside one another again.
"Chris has got great size," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said back in November about his development. "He's got power. I think he's playing with a lot more confidence now. I think it was a guy that was a little unsure of times of exactly what was expected of him. You know, sometimes guys are like that they're afraid to pull the pin and actually do what they know they're supposed to do. And I think once players mature, you know past that and develop the confidence that ‘This is the way I can make plays. I got to trust it. I gotta believe it. I gotta go do it. This is what the coach asked me to do. This is what I'm supposed to do in this scheme of things to be able to make plays that I think we started seeing in production and I think that's definitely what's happened with Chris.
"He’s had really good production all year long but both of our outside backers really have done a good job for us this year.”
