Sooners Offer 2022 DB Tandem from Florida
The Coronavirus shutdown isn’t exactly shutting down college football recruiting.
Oklahoma offered a handful of scholarships on Monday, including two 2022 defensive backs from Hollywood, Florida.
Alfonzo Allen and Jaylin Marshall told SI Sooners they were both almost in disbelief when Alex Grinch called their coach, Hallandale defensive coordinator Junior Rosegreen with an offer.
“Like, wow,” Allen said. “I really just got an offer from Oklahoma. Like, who would have thought?”
“First thought,” said Marshall, “I was happy. I jumped off the couch. I was home and then my coach called me and let me know, and I was just jumping around and everything. I was excited. Because, you know, that’s a great team. They’re in the top four almost every year for college football. I was just excited. And they put a lot of people in the NFL, too.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Allen is a 247 Sports four-star prospect who played at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Florida, last year, but has since followed Rosegreen to Hallandale. He has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Utah, among others.
The 6-3, 208-pound pound Marshall is a 247 Sports three-star prospect who played at Chaminade-Madonna College Prep last year but has also transferred to Hallandale. He has offers from Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech, among others.
WATCH JAYLIN MARSHALL HIGHLIGHTS
WATCH ALFONZO ALLEN HIGHLIGHTS
Rosegreen said at Hallandale this year he’ll play a 3-2 6 alignment because his defensive backs are so outstanding.
“Best in the state,” said Marshall. “In the nation.”
Last season, McArthur posted six shutouts, and the defensive backfield was the catalyst.
“Big boys,” Rosegreen said, “that can run and hit and cover.”
“(Allen) hasn’t reached his peak yet. He’s still growing,” Rosegreen said. “He’s gonna be a kid that’s 6-4. I assume he’ll be 6-4, 225. And Jaylen might be 6-5, 230. So I got some big kids that can run and play football.
“And both of ‘em are gonna play on Sunday.”
Rosegreen said both Allen and Marshall are capable of playing either safety, nickel, corner or outside linebacker.
“Yeah, when scouts ask (Allen) what position he plays, he says he plays defense,” Rosegreen said.
Rosegreen was an SI All-American defender at Auburn in 2004 under Tommy Tuberville also played a little pro ball. He said he works out with his players to give them a feel for what kind of effort it takes to reach the next level.
“When I train them, I train them for Sunday ball,” Rosegreen said. “I don’t train them to go to college. Why I say that, that’s our motto. When you train for Sunday and when you get to college, you’re already gonna have that Sunday mentality. So you ain’t got time to play around or do nothing but grind and study. And then when you get to Sunday, you’ve already got Sunday in your mind before you ever got there.”
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