Wisconsin sophomore Braelon Allen wants a Heisman Trophy
MADISON, Wis. (BVM) – Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen enters his sophomore season with a chance to win the Heisman. Draftkings currently has him at +6000 to win the Heisman, which ranks second among running backs this season.
The rising sophomore finished his first season with the team with 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns, accomplishing it in only 186 carries. That put him at third in the Big Ten in rushing yards, yet he was given nearly 100 less carries than the number one and two rushers in the Big Ten.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin native is just an inch smaller than 2020-21 NFL rushing leader Derrick ‘King’ Henry and just seven pounds lighter. His size and strength have made him one of the more feared running backs in all of college football, along with his surprising speed that makes him one of the most unique running backs in the NCAA.
He came into the team as one of the more unique prospects that the Badgers have seen in a long time. In his time at Fond Du Lac High School, Allen starred on offense and defense, playing running back, linebacker and safety.
As his Division I recruiting process began, many were unsure which side of the ball he would be featured on at the next level. This was due to Allen’s remarkable athleticism and promise on both offense and defense. In his seven game season, he finished with 57 total tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception on the defensive side of the ball.
Allen made his commitment to the Badgers during his sophomore season of high school, when his main focus was playing linebacker and safety. However, after sending in his game tapes to see what position the coaches at Wisconsin thought he should start preparing for, it was then Allen found out that he would be competing for a job in the historic Wisconsin backfield.
His final year in high school highlighted his huge upside at the running back position. He would only play in seven games, but Allen still recorded 1,039 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on just 71 carries.
At just 17 years old, due to reclassifying to the 2021 class, he stepped onto the field for the first time as a Badger. Allen joined the team competing against Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi and red-shirt junior Isaac Guerendo. His first appearance came in the second Badger game in a blowout against Eastern Michigan, where Allen was able to score his first touchdown as a Badger.
Allen would spend another month mainly on the bench, learning from his elders on the team and preparing for his moment. It came at the unfortunate cost of an injury to fellow running back Guerendo, who found out he had torn a ligament in his foot prior to the Illinois game early in October. Now Allen had his chance to shine and in his first game he ran for 131 yards and scored a touchdown.
After that game, he never looked back and would go on to have seven more 100-plus yard rushing games throughout his last eight games of the season. He would even continue the Wisconsin tradition of rushing for over 200 yards against Nebraska as he tallied 228 yards and three touchdowns on just 22 carries.
Jonathan Taylor, former Badger running back and starter for the Indianapolis Colts, accomplished this feat three times in his three games against Nebraska. Melvin Gordon, another former Wisconsin running back, had his historic 408 yard game against Nebraska as well.
Another backfield injury, this time to Chez Mellusi, allowed Allen to show off his huge potential as a running back. He made the most of the remaining games of his freshman year.
The Badgers schedule for the fall of 2022 looks promising for another huge season for Allen, as they face three of the four worst rushing defenses in the Big Ten. However, he will face challenges against Ohio State and Michigan State, which will allow him to showcase his talents against some of the best players in the nation.
It will be interesting to see how new Wisconsin offensive coordinator Bobby Engram will use Allen. Engram spent his playing career at wide receiver and his coaching career has been as a wide receiver and tight end coach.
Expectations are that Allen will continue to understand the game better and become a smarter, craftier running back. This will lead to completing another huge year and continuing to carry on the tradition of RBU at Wisconsin.
