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Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and his staff have scored a local star for their 2020 recruiting class, landing four-star quarterback Beau Allen out of Lexington Catholic.
Allen picked Kentucky with Duke, Washington State and West Virginia also in contention, Allen’s “official” visit came back on April 26th, with Kentucky’s impression apparently sealing the deal ahead of his commitment. He was previously planning to commit later this summer and take more visits beforehand, but ultimately, his hometown school earned his decision.
The Bluegrass native ranks as the 15th-best pro-style QB in the country by Rivals, where he is a four-star prospect. In the state of Kentucky, Allen is slotted as the fourth-best recruit. just ahead of him is four-star tackle John Young, who has also committed to the Wildcats.
Allen also held scholarship offers from the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan Wolverines. He previously camped with the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies in 2017.
Standing 6-2, Allen isn’t the tallest quarterback but is certainly built to play the position. After all, the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft is well under six feet tall.
Athleticism is an additional trait that bolsters Allen’s upside, as he ran a 4.8 40-yard dash and 4.58 shuttle at the Opening Regional in March.
With quarterback Terry Wilson most likely to play a fourth year at Kentucky, the situation should fit perfectly for Allen to come in as a freshman and learn behind a player who is (hypothetically) entering his third year as the team’s starter.
And while some will bring up the recent history of Kentucky quarterbacks recruits committing and decommitting, Allen seems to be as all in with the Wildcats as one could be. It certainly helps that he’s an in-state guy whereas Mac Jones (Florida) and Jarren WIlliams (Georgia) were not from the Bluegrass when they committed to Kentucky, only to later decommit.
Here is 247 Sports’ scouting report of Allen:
Average height for the position. Still lean and will need to add bulk and strength for the next level, but has started that process and added good weight during his junior year. Highly productive passer who played in an open passing offense in high school that asked him to see the entire field. Throws with excellent touch and placement. Allows receivers to run underneath deep balls and throws to spots well. Stands in against pressure and makes throws while getting hit. Can throw the ball into tighter windows as well. Is not an elite measurables guy in terms of size, foot speed or velocity. Can still get stronger and faster. Will make some plays with his feet and has run some zone read, but does no categorize as a dual-threat. Smarts, accuracy and touch all rate as that of a Power 5 starter. NFL projection will likely come down to size and overall improvement in all areas.
PROJECTION: Power-5 Starter
COMPARISON: Colt McCoy
And here are highlights of the newest Wildcat in action:
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