UW Roster Review: With Dillard-Allen, You Get Tough Talk

By all accounts, the University of Washington football team got a lot done during spring practice, especially on defense.

Players such as linebacker Jacob Manu and defensive tackle Elinneus Davis were at their best throughout the 15 workouts. Cornerback Dylan Robinson and linebacker Donovan Robinson scored touchdowns on a fumbled punt and an interception return in the Spring Game, respectively.

Yet those defensive-minded Huskies were quieter than usual. Business-like. Almost a little on the sedate side.

That's because Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen, one of the lead voices for Ryan Walters' stop unit and a projected safety starter, dealt with some sort of minor injury that often had him standing on the sideline holding his helmet and not verbalizing himself.

He knows it.

"If I'm going to be a starter, I think I've got to improve on my leadership and my communication out there on the field," he said. "I feel like last year I was just being a freshman and I was just being out there to be out there. I was just happy to be out there as a freshman. This year, they expect more out of me."

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

This guy with the best nickname on the team otherwise is a readymade conversationalist. When spring ball began, Dillard-Allen was out on the field in coverage on the first day while simultaneously bantering with a slew of offensive players standing off to the side. It was one on five.

Gavin Day (21) hangs with UW starting safeties Rylon Dillard-Allen (3) and Alex McLaughlin, middle. | Dave Sizer photo

Nine months ago in fall camp, he had sharp words with since departed wide receiver Kevin Green Jr. that escalated into violent punches.

As a freshman, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Dillard-Allen from the Phoenix suburbs proved to be one of the more physical Huskies on the football field, always looking for a kill shot when coming in for a tackle.

It was no surprise after the season ended that he was presented with the Chuck Niemi Big Hit Award, presumably for a blow he levied against Oregon.

Rylon "Batman" Dillard-Allen (18) and Ephesians Prysock (7) regroup after a defensive snap against Oregon. | Dave Sizer photo

"I think his athletic ability and his movement skills give him a chance to be a special player," UW safeties coach Taylor Mays said. "He's just a guy whose field movements are just awesome."

His words can be fairly piercing and deafening, too.

What he's done: Dillard-Allen played in all 13 games in his first season in Montlake, started three times and finished with 40 tackles. Whether at safety or on special teams, he was always looking to take someone's head off.

Starter or not: He opened games against Michigan, Wisconsin and Oregon, so he's been entrusted with major responsibility against some of the best. He should be ready to settle in alongside fellow No. 1 safety Alex McLaughlin come fall.

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