4/5/2022 football Edit

GTK: Huskers snatch away RB Ajay Allen Jr from TCU

Mike Matya • InsideNebraska

Recruiting Analyst

Nebraska's postseason shakeup of their offensive staff opened up new recruiting possibilities to close out the last cycle. One of those developments was Ajay Allen Jr de-committing from TCU and following former Horned Frogs assistant coach Bryan Applewhite to Lincoln.

Allen will join a crowded running back room when he gets to Lincoln, but he has a unique skills set that could thrive in the Huskers' revamped offense.

Husker head coach Scott Frost gave his signing day comments about Allen:

"Ajay Allen is kind of interesting because we were kind of shopping for one more running back at the position, another freshman. I did not know anything about him until I started interviewing running back coaches. Coach Applewhite mentioned him to me and kind of the same way when I put on his tape he is one of my favorite guys that I watched all year. There is a lot of backs that can do some things. I think he is a guy that can potentially do everything that we need a running back to do. I am really impressed with his quickness and ability to make somebody miss in short space and in the hole. Another great family, and again somebody that kind of popped up onto my radar late. but I am really glad we got him.”

Below is another in our series of "Getting to know you" features which we will be running on the members of Nebraska's 2022 recruiting class.

Ajay Allen Jr

Position: Running back

Monroe, LA

Current size: 5-foot-11, 185-pounds

Rankings: Allen was rated a 5.7 three-star by Rivals, as well as the No. 18 prospect in the state of Louisiana, and the No. 27 running back recruit in the country. He was regarded as a four-star prospect and as the No. 5 running back recruit in the nation by On3.

Statistics: As a senior, Allen rushed for more than 2,200 yards with 34 touchdowns for the Tigers, and he helped lead his team to the state semifinals. During the regular season, he ranked 11th in the state with more than 1,600 rushing yards. Allen had 360 rushing yards and four touchdowns against St. Thomas More, including touchdown runs of 82 and 99 yards on his first two carries. In the state quarterfinals, Allen had nine carries for 149 yards, including 54- and 65-yard touchdown runs.

Other schools offering scholarships: TCU, Washington, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana.

PERSONAL PREFERENCES

What do you do in your spare time?

“I like to hang out with my friends and eat."

What food do you like the best?

“Pasta. Chicken Alfredo."

What is your favorite television show?

"No sir, not really. I don't watch much TV. I do watch Twitch and You Tube."

Do you have a favorite movie?

“Don't Be A Menace. I mean, it's a funny movie that I like. I grew up on it."

What type of music do you listen to and who is your favorite musical artist?

“I like to listen to rap and I like NBA YoungBoy."

Who is your celebrity crush?

"Skai Jackson. I mean, she's cute. That's about it. I used to watch her TV show called Jessie."

Who has provided great inspiration to you in your life?

"My mom and dad. Where I come from we didn't have as much as other people have, but they just keep pushing me to keep going. Stuff like that."

What person(s) from history or alive today would you most like to sit down and have dinner with?

“I mean, not just life, but also to talk about football. I would like to talk to Barry Sanders because he's one of the greatest running backs of all-time. Before every football game, I will watch some of his videos. I like what kind of person he was and things like that."

Do you have a nickname?

“Ajay."

What is something very few people know about you?

“People think I'm more of a loud person, but I'm not. I can be very antisocial. I am a friendly person, but I just don't walk up to people and talk to them."

If football wasn’t an option, what would your dream career be?

" I'm going to school for criminal justice because I want to be a state trooper."

Do you have a major picked out yet?

“Criminal justice."

Have you met all the academic requirements to enroll at Nebraska?

“Yes sir."

THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS

Who is your favorite football player of all-time?

"I like Reggie Bush from back in the day when he was in his prime in college. You know, people compare me to him, so I like Reggie Bush."

Who is the best football player you've personally played against in a game?

“I played against Kayshon Boutte and Walker Howard. Both of them are at LSU right now, as a matter of fact."

What has been the most memorable moment on the football field so far in your career?

“Well, last year year. Everyone at my school has to wait their turn and last season I got the opportunity to show everyone what I've got."

Which school are you most looking forward to playing against in college?

"I know we're not going to play against SEC schools, but I'm ready to play against Oklahoma and Ohio State."

Do you have a pre-game ritual?

“No sir, I don't."

Did you play other sports growing up or in high school?

"Yes sir. I played basketball and I do track. I do the 4X100 and the 100m and the long jump. I did track my freshman year, but the last two years I've just been working out. I am going to do track again this year."

What is the one thing you most need to work on to play at the next level?

“I mean, just working on things because you have to live differently. You can't be hanging out with friends every day because you have to work on stuff to get better. You can't be skipping days."

How often do you work out and what is your routine?

“At my school, we work out Monday through Thursday. So, a good four days."

WHY NEBRASKA

What did you know about the Nebraska football program before they offered and started recruiting you?

"I know back in the day they were Alabama. They are rebuilding now, but the running backs coach, Applewhite, was recruiting me to TCU and the whole time he was talking to me every day and calling me on the phone. Then, he texted me out of the blue and said, 'What do you think about Nebraska?'

"I was like, 'It's too far' at first. But me and him have a great relationship, and Coach Mickey Joseph is coming from Louisiana and we have a great relationship, too."

Do you have any family ties to the Husker football program or the state of Nebraska?

"No sir."

How did you inform the Nebraska staff of your commitment?

"I made my commitment on signing day. I was giving Coach Applewhite hints, but he didn't know for sure until I announced it on Twitter."

What were the major determining factors in your picking Nebraska and signing with the Huskers?

" I mean, I looked at the goods and the bads, the pros and the cons, just thinking about where I fit in the best and who my play style fit to, and I looked at Nebraska as that place. The coaches kept it real with me."

Did the Nebraska coaches do anything unique when they were recruiting you that other colleges didn't?

“I can't get into all the details, but some coaches will tell you this or that and don't mean it. It wasn't that way with Nebraska."

Which Nebraska coach do you feel especially close to?

“I have great relationships with Coach Applewhite and Coach Joseph, like I said, but I like Coach Frost, too. He's a great guy!"

What was the best feature of your official visit to Nebraska?

“I mean, the people and everybody are friendly. Very easy to make friends with. So, when I went down there, it was like Louisiana. Everyone treated me the same. They treated me like family while I was there."

Did Nebraska’s weather factor into your recruitment?

"No sir, not really. It's cold there and you've got to get used to the cold. It's just like the NFL. If you get drafted by a cold weather team, you can't say no to them. So, you have to get used to it."

Did you make friends with any current players at Nebraska or incoming freshmen during the process?

“Yes, I know Decoldest Crawford. He's not too far away from where I live. I met some of the players when I was down there, too."

What did you think of Nebraska's season?

"The games that they lost, they just need a couple more pieces to their offense. That's a big key because their defense was great. They lost a lot of games by like 3 points or 6 points. If you put some more playmakers on their team to help out, those 6 point or 3 point losses become 12 or 21 point wins."

A LOOK AT THE RECRUITING PROCESS

What's the funniest or craziest thing that happened to you during the recruiting process?

“I had COVID. I wasn't sick, but I tested positive. I don't know how that happened."

What was your favorite moment during the recruiting process?

“Well, for one, the coaches recruiting me because everyone doesn't get to play DI football."

What was the worst moment during the recruiting process?

“Everybody said I should have had more offers, but people get overlooked sometimes. It is what it is. I think I had offers from almost every conference, but the I probably should have had more to choose with. I had enough, though, to choose where my play style fit. So, I'm fine. Everybody will know who I am someday."

Who were some of the schools that recruited you and showed interest, but didn't offer you in the end?

"Clemson and Alabama. As a matter of fact, Alabama came to some of my games to watch me and they were texting me and stuff like that, but they never offered."

What is one thing you learned that you would share with a recruit going through the process now?

"Just to keep working hard and don't give up. I went to a camp and got my first Power Five offer and didn't look back. My first offer was from Southeastern, but my first Power Five offer was from TCU."

Which schools tried to get in the picture with you and wanted you to visit after you committed to Nebraska?

“Probably TCU or Michigan State."

FUTURE AND GOALS

What position will you be playing at Nebraska?

“Running back."

Are you expecting to redshirt your first year at Nebraska?

“I don't plan on it. I want to play."

What number would you like to wear at Nebraska?

“No. 3."

What are your goals for your first year in college?

“To stay focused. I'm already mature, but to get things done the right way in college."

What will you bring to Nebraska as far as a strong point?

“I think to come in and really compete my freshman year."

Are you planning to attend the Huskers' Red-White spring game?

“Yes sir, I will."

What would you like to say to the Nebraska fans?

"I think they have a good fan base, I'm not going to lie. Every time I tweet something, everybody's jumping on it. I like their fan base. I want to play in an environment where I can experience that type of fan base."