'Lockdown' Louisiana Cornerback Commits to Penn State
Penn State doesn't recruit many players from Louisiana, but defensive back Jordan Allen is about to buck that trend. Allen on Saturday committed to Penn State's 2022 recruiting class, becoming the 20th player to join the group.
Allen announced his decision on Instagram and released this video.
Allen (5-11, 175 pounds) helped Lafayette Christian Academy win its fourth consecutive Division III state title last year. He goes by the nickname "Lockdown," which seems well-earned. Allen made five interceptions in 2020 and told the Acadiana Advocate that he did not allow a reception all season.
Maxpreps named Allen to its Louisiana all-state team, calling him "one of the top shutdown cornerbacks in the country."
"He's 'Lockdown.' He owns that nickname." Lafayette coach Jacarde Carter told the Advocate.
Allen chose Penn State over a long list of programs, including Big Ten competitors such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Indiana. Allen visited Louisville and Miami in June. Though he did not visit Penn State, Allen said the program's recruiting process made a significant impact.
"They have recruited me way differently from everybody else," Allen said in an interview with SI All-American's Matt Ray. "They constantly talk to me every day, and they are always checking up on my parents and siblings. It made me feel like it was home. The crazy part about it is, I had scheduled an official visit there, but I could not go because I had a funeral to attend that weekend. So, I really didn't even visit Penn State. That decision was really based off of how they recruited me."
Allen added this his relationship with Terry Smith, Penn State's cornerbacks coach and defensive recruiting coordinator, played a major role in his decision.
"That is my guy," Allen said of Smith. "He really made me feel like it was home. He told me that I was the number one guy on their board and that I needed to come in early and fight for some playing time. So, I was thinking about that stuff and the reaction I got from him when I committed to him; he was going crazy. He was so happy."
Penn State doesn't make much recruiting noise in Louisiana. The last Louisiana high school player to commit to Penn State was linebacker Michael Mauti, whose father Rich also played for the Lions. Current running back Noah Cain originally is from Baton Rouge but played high school football in Texas and at Florida's IMG Academy.
Allen represents Penn State's eighth July commitment to the 2022 recruiting class and ninth overall. Virginia lineman Alex Birchmeier recently committed to the 2023 class.
Penn State began the month with the nation's fourth-ranked 2022 recruiting class, according to SI All-American, behind Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida State, This run could continue, as the Lions await the July 22 announcement of Dani Dennis-Sutton, one of the nation's top defensive ends.
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