Markus Allen / submitted
Markus Allen Could Follow In Nico Collins' Footsteps At Michigan
As part of Michigan's top 10 recruiting class, 2021 Clayton (Ohio) Northmont three-star wide receiver Markus Allen is already getting a head start on learning about the Wolverines' playbook.
After committing to Michigan on April 28, Allen has worked with the U-M staff on familiarizing himself with the offensive concepts employed in Ann Arbor. According to Allen, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis has preached his speed-in-space philosophy, and this scheme is one that is attractive to the U-M pledge.
“Me and Coach Harbaugh and Coach Gattis, we usually FaceTime,” Allen told Wolverine Digest. “Me and Coach Gattis, when we are talking about Michigan and plays and stuff, we usually get in a Zoom call and we go over plays, He tells me what it's going to be like at Michigan and everything.”
Last season in his first year in the Northmont system, Allen set a school record with 51 receptions, 1,099 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Allen mentioned that his involvement in head coach Tony Broering's offense is quite similar to what he will see in college.
“We look for the slot guys first, and then you get the outside receivers doing posts and stuff like that,” Allen said. “Actually, seeing a couple plays and he sent me a couple, I looked at it from our high school plays and it's not that much different. At Northmont, we try to have a college-level offense so we're ahead of everybody.”
After discussing his future with the Michigan staff, Allen feels that he is a fairly accurate example of how he will play in college currently enrolled at Michigan in Nico Collins. Last year, Collins logged 37 receptions for 729 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago, and Allen may find himself in that same role down the road.
“[Michigan] keeps him on the outside but they can also move him in if they want to,” Allen said. “He's a big receiver, a big speed receiver and a big-bodied receiver out there like Nico Collins, and that's what a lot of people compare me to. I like his game a lot.”
Over the offseason, Allen is busy preparing his conditioning and working on several aspects of his game before the beginning of his senior campaign.
“Just mainly worked on balance, catching and everything,” Allen said. “I've been working mainly on my speed, being a threat all over the field, like taking five-yard routes to the end zone, and I've been working on just being more than a red zone threat and a big-bodied receiver.”
Several months back, Allen had begun track and field practices at Northmont, and Broering also was his track coach for what little portion of the season they had. Allen says that the duo in conjunction with fellow Michigan commit Rod Moore have worked on top-end speed and endurance to help prep for the football season this fall.
“We started off pretty fast, rolling as soon as we got on the track,” Allen said. “Me and Coach B, we set out our goals, and we were trying to get that done and get prepared. He was helping me on my form because the better form I have, the faster I can be. He also helped me be more explosive in the first 10 [yards] and the last 10 of my 40 [yard dash]. We were ready for track season, but corona came around and it got canceled.”
Allen had planned on running the 4x200 meter dash, and he mentioned that Moore specializes in the 100-yard dash at Northmont. While the two Michigan commits have built a strong relationship, Allen tossed around the idea of rooming with U-M quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy when he arrives at college.
“Me and J.J. have been talking about rooming together and starting the connection early, get rolling and stay on the same page the whole time we're at Michigan and just be on a mission,” Allen said.
Right now, Allen is the school's only wide receiver commit, but U-M is looking to add two more pledges at the position and possibly one more if a tight end commit does not materialize between now and National Signing Day.
At 6-2 and 190 pounds, Allen is a big receiver for the high school level. Do you see him having the same kind of impact as Markus Allen in college? Let us know!
