Nebraska Football has a tight end who may be on the upswing.
All throughout the offseason we have been talking about what the tight end position may look like for Nebraska Football. Sure, it is going to be a crowded room at the position. There is certainly a lot of depth, something that was lacking last year.
The interesting thing is going to be seeing who separates themselves from the rest at the position. One particular candidate stands out to many in the national media. It is certainly a candidate I can get behind. Austin Allen fits that distinction.
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Allen was barely on the field last year. In total, he caught two passes for 54 yards on the season. If there was any encouraging signs avbout his play, it is that he caught the passes in back-to-back games. He caught a pass against Bethune-Cookman in what was a 45-9 win. He also caught one against Ohio State in what was a 36-31 loss. The catch against the Buckeyes was perhaps a little bit more memorable as it went for 41 yards.
Allen has the build to be a tight end. At six-foot-eight, 245 pounds, he could certainly be a major weapon for a quarterback. Also working in his favor is the fact that he is a Nebraska native. Hailing from Aurora, he certainly knows Nebraska Football tradition. Although at the end of the day that won’t help his play on the field, it is encouraging in the sense that he knows what it takes to be successful here.
Michael Bruntz of 247Sports thinks that Allen could be the type of target the program needs. With the length and size that Allen brings to the table, I don’t think he is too far off in his assessment. Particularly in the red zone, he could be exactly the type of target the Huskers need in order to make sure they score six.
"The Husker tight end appeared in all 12 games last season, making two catches for 54 yards. Allen made a 41-yard catch against Ohio State that was the longest catch by a Husker tight end since 2015. The tight end spot will be crowded for the Big Red again in 2019, but with another offseason to put on weight and improve as an in-line blocker, Allen could become a big target for Adrian Martinez."
Allen doesn’t have a lot on his resume right now, but that should change come the fall. Being one of the more experienced tight ends on the roster, I think it’s fair to assume he will be involved in a tight end battle come camp. I’m not saying he’s going to win the starting job. However, he should make the competition at the position very interesting. It should be a fun position to watch.
Whatever the case may be, Allen has certainly put himself in a position to succeed. The playing time he received last year should only be viewed as a stepping stone to bigger things. Getting the starting tight end job is not going to be easy, and truthfully, he probably will not be the starter, but the competition itself is very wide open. I’m excited to see it all unfold, although it will probably be stressful for Scott Frost and the coaching staff as they look towards taking steps to finalize the roster.