So how did it come to be that a San Antonio quarterback who had fallen in love with Oklahoma, ended up quickly deciding on transferring to Syracuse? Credit Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland-Youngstown corridor is the stop over for Drew Allen on his way from Norman to the Hill. The signal caller spoke to The Fizz and described how SU developed into his preferred destination while he analyzed his options.
“Syracuse came along because, I felt like, we needed a couple more options. I sent some emails out to some schools that lost their quarterback to the draft or didn’t have a set quarterback and Syracuse was one of them. I heard back from Syracuse within fifteen minutes of the email. They didn’t know about me. They didn’t know that I was available or looking around, so I was glad I was able to get that email out there.
I took that Syracuse visit within two weeks of them contacting me. I absolutely just fell in love with the place, the coaches, the atmosphere, the type of offense they wanted to run. I took a little bit more time after the visit and decided to commit about three weeks later. I really wanted to make sure I was doing this process justice and I know that I have done that.”
The thing that really stood out to me was when Coach Shafer called me. He said, ‘Drew, we got your email, we want to recruit you. Appreciate you sending the email. I’ve been on the phone with Coach Stoops.’ I came to find out that he and Coach Stoops had an Ohio connection. I talked to him, he gave me the rundown on who you are and what you’re about, that’s all I needed.”
That Ohio connection? Just so happens Shafer is from Paineville, along the shore of Lake Erie. He also played college ball at Ohio University and Baldwin-Wallace (in Berea, OH). Stoops hails from Youngstown, just an hour and twenty minutes down Route 11 from where Shafer grew up. Stoops is about seven years older, so they wouldn’t have played one another. But two BCS coaches from Northeast Ohio will have plenty of familiar faces between them.
Allen is a terrific option for the SU staff to have at its fingertips this summer. While Terrel Hunt turned some heads during the Spring Game, he’s still an unproven commodity. Obviously, so is Allen. But having competition for the job is far better than an Orange quarterback winning it by default.
It appears Charlie Loeb has yet to live up to the challenge of the gig, and SU appears reticent on giving Ashton Broyld the playbook to run. If it comes down to Hunt and Allen in August, that’s much more favorable then having to give Terrel the job despite reservations. Allen, at very least, will force someone to win the job. Not just inherit it.
For what it’s worth, Urban Meyer is from Toledo, so check out Ohio State’s depth chart. Maybe there’s a third-string Buckeyes quarterback that wants some playing time.
Posted: D.A.
