Former Wisconsin star running back and current New York Jets rookie Braelon Allen is the youngest player in the NFL at just 20 years old. Allen has already turned heads and is the youngest player in NFL history to score in the Super Bowl Era.
In week two against the Tennessee Titans, Allen became the youngest player to score a rushing touchdown since 1930. He also scored a receiving touchdown in the same game, leading the Jets to a 24-17 win.
The Jets began to trust Allen from his first game against the Denver Broncos, where he got eight total touches and averaged four yards per carry for 34 rushing yards. His second game against the New England Patriots truly flashed his talent, where he rushed 11 times for 55 yards and scored two touchdowns. In every game, Allen has consistently averaged over four yards per carry and has even contributed to the passing game with his seven total receptions.
Allen’s impressive ability on the football field was evident well before he started playing with the Jets. He was recruited as a defensive player out of Fond Du Lac High School, becoming a four-star recruit before committing to Wisconsin in the 2021 season.
Once he arrived at Madison, Allen switched sides of the ball and became a running back.
Injuries during the season, including that of current starting running back Chez Mellusi, provided Allen with an opportunity to start as a freshman, and he ran away with it. He rushed for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns during his freshman season. This earned him a nod on the All Big Ten second team.
Much like now in the NFL, where he is also younger than everyone else on the field, Allen was and never has been intimidated by his older competition.
“It doesn't matter how much older those guys are,” Allen said in an interview with the Associated Press his freshman year. “I know they are not stronger than me, so age doesn’t really play a factor in it.”
He carried that no-fear mentality throughout his college career, racking up another second team All-Big Ten and reaching ninth all time on Wisconsin’s rushing list with 3,494 yards.
After his junior season, Allen declared for the NFL draft. There was much hype surrounding him as a prospect, with even some draft boards having him as the top running back in the draft.
However, Allen surprisingly fell to the fourth round in the draft, where the New York Jets selected him with the 134th pick. People blamed his fall when he didn't run the 40-yard dash in the combine, something Allen even poked fun at on social media.
“Everyone wanted to see me run in my underwear,” said Allen on X.
The early returns of the season are showing other teams will regret passing on Allen for simply foregoing the 40-yard dash. He scored two touchdowns in week two this NFL season.
“Once we put the pads on, he separated himself. It was clear we had to get this dude on the field,” head coach Robert Saleh said in an interview with The Sporting News.
Although Allen shares the backfield with star running back Breece Hall, his early performances may force the Jets to give him a larger role. As the season progresses, look for Allen to continue to make his name known as one of the top offensive rookies in the league.
