41 Days Until the College Football Season Kick Off

Back to back pass rushers.

Yesterday we highlighted a pass rusher that got drafted in 2019. Well, today for day 41, we stay on theme of players that terrorized quarterbacks and made it to the league in 2019.

Josh Allen was born in Virginia but went to special education school in New Jersey because of a speech impediment. Following his time in Jersey, he moved to Alabama where he attended Abbeville High School.

Allen was a hoops player but was convinced by his uncle to play football. He progressed through high school and was an All State receiver at Abbeville as a junior. He moved back to New Jersey for his senior season and attended Montclair High School. With the move came a position change from receiver to defensive end.

The position change altered his recruitment but didn’t seem to hinder it. In his one season at defensive end, Allen led the state in sacks. He originally committed to Monmouth University but when Kentucky offered him, he took the offer to play in the Blue Grass state.

In his freshman season, Allen appeared in just three games recording four tackles and half a sack. His sophomore year saw more playing time as he played in all thirteen games. He totaled seven sacks along with sixty two tackles and four forced fumbles.

2017 was a bit of a breakout year for the 6’5 pass rusher. He was named Second Team All SEC after tallying seven sacks, sixty six tackles, and two forced fumbles with one interception.

In his senior season, Allen exploded. He had one of the most decorated years of any player ever in 2018. After racking up eighty eight tackles, twenty one of them for loss, seventeen sacks, and five forced fumbles, the awards came pouring in.

He was named First Team All SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Unanimous All American, won the Bednarik Award, the Lott Trophy, and the Nagurski Award.

Allen was selected seventh overall by the Jaguars in 2019 and hasn’t looked back. He made the Pro Bowl his rookie season after racking up ten and a half sacks.

Tomorrow for day 40 we’ll flip to the backfield and look at the most intimidating and dominant fullback to ever walk the Earth.