What Does 2014 Look Like For Arkansas Razorback QB Brandon Allen?

 

Brandon Allen spring practice 2014

You talk about high-profile pressure situations. The quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks, or any SEC football team for that matter, would have to be on the list. Add following two of the best Razorback quarterbacks to the play for the University of Arkansas – Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson – to the mix and you’ve described a situation most would run from not fight to stay in.

But fight to stay in the job as the quarterback is exactly what many believe Arkansas’ Brandon Allen is doing. In fact, it’s what he believes he’s doing, too.

Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples wrote this earlier this month, when evaluating the Hogs for the upcoming football season: “Brandon Allen returns as the No. 1 quarterback, but he could be pushed this spring by early enrollee Rafe Peavey.”

And the Arkansas News Bureaus’ Robbie Neiswanger wrote this a few days ago:

Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen isn’t interested in excuses, so squeezing information out of him about last season’s shoulder injury is difficult.

How much was his season really thrown off course because of the injury, which occurred in the first quarter of Arkansas’ third game? How healthy was Allen — who also suffered a nasty gash on his leg in the first quarter of the Auburn — the rest of the season as he lined up under center for a 3-9 team?

“It’s hard to tell,” Allen said, shrugging off the questions after Arkansas’ second spring practice last Tuesday. “I did have some discomfort and stuff, but now it’s all good. … Obviously, now, it’s nice to be able to go out there and sling it around like I did before. So just the fact that I’m feeling better helps my game a lot.”

Allen has little interest in looking back on the 2013 season, which was his first as a starter, after throwing for 1,552 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Instead, he’s looking forward to another spring battle for the starting position.

Allen performed well enough to win last year’s competition against Brandon Mitchell, who transferred and started at North Carolina State. He’ll have to do it again, facing a host of challengers that includes his younger brother.

Austin Allen, redshirt freshman Damon Mitchell, early-enrollee Rafe Peavey and returning backup A.J. Derby are all trying to make an impression this spring as Arkansas evaluates its quarterback play. So the quarterback understands the importance of the month as Arkansas begins to put together plans for 2014. But he welcomes the challenge, believing the battle will to make him a better quarterback.

“It’s definitely a competition at the QB spot,” Allen said. “I’m doing everything I can to make myself and him and everybody else a better player. I’m doing what I can do to prove that I’m a starter. To prove that I’m the guy for the job.”

We know that through the first week of spring practice, Brandon Allen completed 60 percent of this passed. The Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator, Jim Chaney, wants to see a 70 percent completion rate. While Allen isn’t there, yet, he only completed 49.6 percent of his throws last season in 11 starts, so perhaps there is hope for improvement next season.

A closer look at his performance last season shows when he was good he was OK and when things weren’t so good, they were awful:

Allen started all 11 games in which he appeared, missing only the game at Rutgers due to an injury.

He finished his first season as the starter 128-of-258 passing for 1,552 yards and 13 touchdowns and added 29 yards and one touchdown rushing.

His touchdown passes total tied for 13th on Arkansas’ single-season list.

Allen opened the season by recording his first multiple touchdown game in Arkansas’ 34-14 win vs. Louisiana. He was 15-of-22 passing for 230 yards and recorded a career-high three touchdowns against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Allen’s performance earned him CFPA Honorable Mention Quarterback of the Week for Sept. 2.

Allen was 9-of-17 passing for 125 yards and two touchdowns, leading Arkansas to a 31-21 victory over Samford in week two.

In the first quarter vs. Southern Miss, Allen was 2-of-5 passing for 33 yards before exiting the game with an injury suffered while scoring a rushing touchdown.

Allen returned to action to open conference play vs. No. 10 Texas A&M and was 17-of-36 passing for a career-high 282 yards and career-high-tying three touchdowns. He also recorded a career-long 52-yard completion vs. Texas A&M.

Allen continued SEC play on the road at No. 18 Florida and completed 17 of his career-high 41 attempts for 164 yards.

He was 4-of-12 for 30 yards passing vs. No. 14 South Carolina and 7-of-25 for 91 yards passing at No. 1 Alabama.

Allen was 10-of-22 for 112 yards passing and one touchdown in addition to two yards on six rushes vs. No. 8 Auburn.

He completed 18 passes on 32 attempts for 193 yards and two touchdowns at Ole Miss.

Allen was 10-of-17 passing for 114 yards and added two carries for four yards rushing vs. Mississippi State and closed the season with a career-high 19 completions on 29 attempts for 178 yards and two touchdowns at No. 15 LSU.

In a press conference following the first week of spring practice Allen’s head coach, Bret Bielema, indicated he’s still high on the quarterback. Bielema likes his leadership and confidence. He also likes his maturity.

We know the potential to be a good to great quarterback is there for Brandon Allen. He was highly recruited out of high school.

He was one of the top quarterbacks in the country, and Allen joined the Razorback football program under then-head coach Bobby Petrino rated as the fifth-best pro-style quarterback in the nation, according to Rivals. Allen was ranked as a top 200 prospect nationally by Rivals, too, and was ranked as the No. 31 quarterback prospect in the nation by Scout.com at the time he signed with the Razorbacks.

Allen won the Landers Award, given annually to the top prep football player in the state of Arkansas. He led Fayetteville High School to the Arkansas Class 7A state title game in 2010, finishing the season with a 10-4 record.

He was known for his accuracy and threw for 3,408 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior, going the entire regular season without throwing an interception.

He totaled more than 10,000 passing yards in three seasons under head coach Daryl Patton as Fayetteville’s starting quarterback.

He showed his athleticism in his final prep season by also rushing for more than 500 yards.

But as we all know, SEC defenses aren’t Arkansas high school defenses, and Bret Bielema’s offensive philosophies are not Bobby Petrino’s. While there is still plenty of time this offseason for Allen to prepare to achieve the heights of his potential, it is fair to realize there remain unanswered questions as to exactly how high the bar is for him.

What does the 2014 season look like for Brandon Allen?

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