Exclusive: Where Vanderbilt Football Feels Brian Allen Will Make an Impact

Vanderbilt’s coaches have a lot of belief in what one of their new offensive lineman will be able to do this year.

Vanderbilt edge Brian Allen Jr. (10) goes through drills at Vanderbilt University’s McGugin Center practice fields Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When former Iowa defensive lineman and EDGE rusher Brian Allen Jr. helped sack former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in the 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl, the last thing Vanderbilt’s coaching staff was thinking about was who would be on its roster for the 2026 season.

Roster construction began taking shape in the weeks following the conclusion of the Commodores’ 2025 season. Coincidentally, as if it was by fate, one of the players included in Vanderbilt’s 2026 roster construction happened to be Allen Jr., who transferred to the Commodores in mid-January

Allen Jr. and Vanderbilt still remember that day all too well, but for opposite reasons. Both parties have moved on from that moment and are now focusing on what is ahead as Allen Jr. prepares to bring his sack ability to Vanderbilt’s benefit.

Going into a new season, Vanderbilt’s coaches now view Allen Jr. as a valuable player they feel will make an important impact for their defense in more ways than one.

“I think where he’s been most impactful is that he’s done both at a high level,” Vanderbilt defensive ends coach Adam Morris told Vandy On SI whether he thinks Allen Jr. will be more effective in run or pass defense. “It’s easy to say he’s going to help us rushing or he’s going to help us another way. I really think it’s both. Like, he’s experienced.” 

Allen Jr. was at Iowa from 2022 through the 2025 season. He did not see much playing time his first two seasons, but the last two seasons he has had the ability to showcase his skills. Between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he combined for 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Of his 33 tackles, 20 of them were solo tackles.

He now enters the 2026 season with Vanderbilt as a graduate student hoping he can continue the trajectory he has created for himself the last two years.

Morris and the coaching staff feel comfortable putting Allen Jr. in a variety of situations on defense. A lot of that is due to his experience he gained at Iowa. Vanderbilt puts a lot of stock in how much experience a player has and uses it to unlock a new level in the player throughout the season.

Morris’ plan for Allen Jr. is to use his experience for exactly that.

“He is a guy that we're going to be able to trust in short yardage situations or base downs to be physical. I really think where he's most valuable is his ability to do both. He's just a kid that's playing a lot of snaps,” Morris said.

The assurance that the experience of a player shows a coaching staff is invaluable. That goes for any player the program targets in the transfer portal, not just Allen Jr. A more experienced player in the portal is much less of a risk and much more of a sure thing in terms of expected production he may bring to a team.

That is what drew Vanderbilt to Allen Jr. Because he has the experience of playing in a tough, rugged Iowa defense that Allen Jr. contributed to, Morris and the rest of the coaching staff already knows that he is going to be a guy that can be relied on to bring the team’s defense to the next level.

A younger player could have a higher projected ceiling compared to an experienced player like Allen Jr., but there is no substance to necessarily prove it due to the lack of experience. At the end of the day, Vanderbilt seems to smartly select its players, especially in the portal, based on production.

“It is the fact that it is not as much of a projection as much because they've done it in college football at a high level. You know what type of player you're getting. So he is talented, but the reality is any kid that you take out of the portal that’s played as much football as him you know exactly what you're getting. Then obviously it's our job to try to elevate his game in any way that we can,” Morris told Vandy On SI.

Morris and Allen Jr. are in the same boat in a way. It is both their first seasons at Vanderbilt. Morris was the assistant defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns during the 2025-26 season and found an opportunity with the Commodores at the start of the offseason.

The level of impact Allen Jr. will make from Morris’ coaching will be answered this fall, but Morris believes in what he sees and believes in what he can do with the former Hawkeye so far.

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