2017 recruiting classes were all but finalized on National Signing Day in February, but there are still some players looking for homes as the school calendar nears its end. Junior college transfers fall into this category, and Monday Syracuse got a commitment from one of them: defensive end Josh Allen.
Allen will join Syracuse in the fall with two years of eligibility remaining, and his road to SU (like a number of JUCO transfers who end up D1) has a number of stops. Allen started out as a recruit in the 2016 recruiting class. In his senior year he committed, decommitted and then re-committed to Arizona. He failed to qualify to play at Arizona and went to Long Beach City College for his JUCO years. Allen committed to spend his last two years of eligiiblity at USF in March, but decommitted again before switching to the Orange.
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— JayJay (@2LiveStokess) March 5, 2017
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— JayJay (@2LiveStokess) April 18, 2017
Allen impressed in his two years at Long Beach City. He recorded 88 tackles, 29 of which were for a loss. He also made 9.5 sacks. He was the No. 43 JUCO prospect of the recruiting cycle, and No. 4 strong-side defensive end, according to 247Sports.com. Does that make him worth the risk of someone who was forced to a junior college and has committed four different times (and to the same school twice)?
The Orange isn’t desperate for help on the defensive line, but it could certainly use the help Allen will bring. Syracuse’s returning defensive ends¬†are Josh Black, Kendall Coleman and Jake Pickard. None of them have as much college experience as Allen. Allen will come to SU with an opportunity to play from Game One, and if he steps up could even become the leader of the defensive ends in his first year with the team.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
