Michigan State Making a Strong Push for 2014 OL Brian Allen From Illinois

As the well-known adage goes, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Mark Twain, the author of the quote,

As the well-known adage goes, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Mark Twain, the author of the quote, might as well have been talking about potential future Spartan Brian Allen, an undecided recruit of the class of 2014. The brother of current MSU offensive lineman Jack Allen plays with a fierceness and toughness that has college coaches salivating.

Allen recently joined Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr. on Spartan Nation Radio for an exclusive interview.

An Illinois native, Brian Allen is attracting scholarship offers from schools ranging from Ole Miss to Boston College to Michigan State. Though the Hinsdale Central junior has the skillset to play on either side of the ball, most are projecting and recruiting him as a center, his “favorite position.” Whatever position he plays, Allen has a bright future.

Standing at 6’2 ½, 284 pounds, Allen’s size is not typical of an offensive lineman. He has neither the height nor the weight players of the position are known for. But what Allen lacks in stature, he more than aptly compensates for in heart. He is a joy to watch on the football field, as the intensity with which he plays is outstanding. After he snaps the ball to the quarterback, a fierce monster comes out of Allen. The center explodes out of his stance, bursting up from under his opponent. Before the nose tackle knows it, he is on his rear end thanks to a driving block from a determined Allen. His motor is non-stop. For example, on one play from his 2012 highlight reel, Allen can be seen blocking on a screen play. Setting his sights on an opposing linebacker, Allen pushes him back nearly 20 yards before the defender tumbles to the turf.

Anyone could run through the holes Allen provides for his running backs. The lineman often pancakes defenders lining up against him, leaving backs with large lanes to run through. And once Allen is finished with his assigned defensive lineman, he often moves on to the next level, taking on linebackers and sometimes even safeties. While playing with admirable intensity, he always maintains great fundamentals. “Having my brother [Jack] up at Michigan State doesn’t hurt,” the younger Allen said. “Also, I’ve been blessed to have a pretty good offensive line coach here in Mike Jones.”

Though the class of 2014 recruit boasts all of these desirable attributes, his best characteristic might be his toughness, an area where he takes after his brother. “Yeah, I think that we share that mindset, us being smaller and undersized guys for our position,” Brian told Spartan Nation Radio recently. “That’s something we kind of have to have. That’s definitely a good attribute for our position.” As Allen explained, the aspect of his game comes from his background in wrestling. “It’s a long season, it’s a tough season. The sport’s not for everybody,” he said of wrestling. “It makes you mentally tougher as a person and as an athlete.”

Coaches at national renowned programs have taken notice of both Allen’s ability and grit. Allen has received 13 scholarship offers. The young man could play in any one of four conferences (the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, or SEC) and in any one of 12 states. Notable schools on the list include MSU, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech. Scout.com ranks the prospect as the second-best at his position in the country.

Allen’s recruiting experience has been an interesting one, and full of change. “It’s [been] alright, it’s a little hectic. I’ve had a lot of coaching changes, which is always different,” the youngster said. He is a step ahead in the game, due to an early start, so he expects to make his decision on a school soon. “I think I’ll have my mind made up probably sometime in May or early June, just because I’ve been to every school so many times and I got a head start on this process, getting my first offer as a freshman in high school,” Allen stated. “Like I said, anywhere in the Midwest, I’ve been to at least twice.”

As far as the university he will pick, Allen’s mouth is sealed tight. The three-star Rivals recruit has not given any indication as to which schools are at the top of his list. “I haven’t narrowed my list, but I have some favorites,” explained Allen. “There are some schools that are kind of up at the top and I don’t know if I want to name those right now.”

The factors that will sway his opinion are also a mystery. He does not necessarily favor a Big Ten school (Michigan State, Illinois, etc.) to an SEC program (Ole Miss, Missouri). “I don’t think I really have a preference, it’s just an honor to get offers from the SEC and have their attention.” A school’s educational programs also won’t make much of a difference to Allen. He plans to major in business and has investigated the programs at each of the schools interested in him. “That’s definitely a big factor that’s going to go into my decision, but out of all the opportunities I have, I don’t think there’s a school I can go wrong with educationally,” he said. “They all have great programs … I don’t think I’ll have a problem finding an educational fit at any of them.”

One statement Allen pays close attention to is what coaches say about his size. The offensive lineman is not worried about his stature, so he believes that coaches shouldn’t be, either. “I think one of the biggest attributes to the style I play is I use my size against the defense. I weigh 284 pounds right now. I’m never going to be that guy who weighs 350. I feel that I move pretty well at that weight and I’ll be able to move pretty well at 300 if that’s where they want me,” Allen said. “I don’t see myself weighing much more than that, and I really don’t need to … I really don’t worry about my size being questioned. If other schools do, I cross them out in the back of my head.”

Brian’s older brother, Jack, might have some influence on where the high school junior decides to attend college. The elder Allen is a sophomore at Michigan State, and the two have a very close relationship. “He’s a great role model, he’s never really made it hard to set a good example, he’s always working hard. He’s the hardest worker I know,” Brian said of Jack. “Whenever I need some guidance, I don’t even need to ask, I just watch him. He’s a great example, and that’s what I try to mold my work ethic off of.”

Wherever Allen decides to spend the next four or five years of his life, he certainly has the talent and focus to succeed at the college level and beyond. The young offensive lineman plays with an intensity and grit that will make him an invaluable asset for whichever program he ends up at. While Spartan Nation would love to see him in Green and White, it would like to wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors, wherever he chooses to go to school.