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Arkansas Razorbacks

Austin Allen could cement his legacy at Arkansas during senior season

Brad Joyal

By Brad Joyal

Published:


Some Arkansas fans might have doubted Austin Allen before he took over for his older brother, Brandon, as the Razorbacks’ quarterback last season.

In fairness, nobody knew what to expect after he had only attempted 19 passes during his first two seasons. Nevertheless, Allen proved to be one of the most valuable assets for the offense last season.

Sure, he made some mistakes. Allen finished with 15 interceptions, including two against Missouri in the regular-season finale and three more against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl. Arkansas lost both games, which might have many fans groaning about the reality of starting another year with an Allen brother under-center.

Still, even though he stumbled into the offseason, Allen undoubtedly had bright spots during his debut season.

He completed 245-of-401 passes and finished with 3,430 yards and 25 touchdowns. Those numbers, in comparison to previous Hogs quarterbacks, are pretty darn good. His 245 completions rank fourth in Arkansas history behind Tyler Wilson, who completed a program-best 277 passes in 2011 and 249 more as a senior in 2012. Ryan Mallett ranks second with 266 completions in 2010.

Allen also has completed 60.5 percent of his passes (254 of 420). Only Wilson, who completed 593-of-948 passes (62.6) had a better career. The younger Allen may finish his career as the program’s all-time leader in completion percentage.

However, that isn’t the only record he might break.

He enters the 2017 season with the 12th-most passing yards in program history with 3,618, and it isn’t unrealistic to expect him to make a push to be near the top of the list by the end of the 2017 slate.

Top 5 career passers in Arkansas history

Yards Player Career
7,765 Tyler Wilson 2008-12
7,493 Ryan Mallett 2009-10
7,463 Brandon Allen 2012-15
7,422 Clint Stoerner 1996-99
5,857 Matt Jones 2001-04

Allen might not throw for the 4,147 yards he’d need to supplant Wilson as the all-time leader, though he could edge his older brother, who ranks third. Brandon Allen threw for 7,463 yards.

While 3,845 yards might not seem like much more than the production Allen had last year, there could be some aspects of the Razorbacks’ offense which hold him back this season.

For starters, Arkansas will be a run-first offense.

With both of their top two leading rushers — Rawleigh Williams III and Devwah Whaley — returning, the Razorbacks will prefer to break the will of opposing defenses with their run before dropping back to pass. Another potential deterrent to Allen’s success could be the offensive line. Last year, he was sacked 34 times. That ranked second in the SEC behind only South Carolina (41), and tied Memphis for 103rd-worst nationally.

Allen will also have to gel with a new crop of receivers, as Keon Hatcher, Drew Morgan and Dominique Reed, as well as tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, are all gone. Those four pass-catchers accounted for 158 catches, 2,117 yard and 17 scores.

The top returning target is wide receiver Jared Cornelius, who finished 2016 with 32 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns. Arkansas’ spring game was canceled Saturday, but Cornelius spent a good portion of his televised interview speaking highly of Allen, the passing game and, in particular, the help that is on the way.

The new receivers include a pair of 4-star pass-catchers, Brandon Martin and Jeremy Patton. Martin, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver, has already enrolled on campus alongside former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College teammate Jonathan Nance, a 3-star receiver that also provides height at 6-2.

Patton has yet to enroll, but he’ll join the Razorbacks as the top-ranked tight end in JUCO. Allen and the rest of the Hogs will rely on him to use his 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame to make an immediate impact. Add Koilan Jackson, a 3-star receiver from Little Rock, to the mix and Arkansas’ passing game might be better than expected.

Between the newcomers and the fact that the Razorbacks will likely lean on the run throughout the year, Allen enters his final season in Fayetteville with familiar expectations.

Nobody knows exactly how the upcoming year will play out. But if the bulk of last season — the final two games notwithstanding — was any indication, Allen and the passing game could be another pleasant surprise in 2017.

And if that happens, Allen could leave the Razorbacks as one of the most successful quarterbacks the program has ever seen.

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