Scouting Report: Braelon Allen (RB) - Wisconsin
Sales Pitch: “Traditional pro-style back who excels as a north-south runner on gap scheme runs. Elite size and contact balance make him a load to handle but a lack of burst and passing game impact limit his projection to being a 2-down power back.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 6’ 1 1/4”
Weight: 235 lbs
Arm Length: 31 1/4”
Hand Size: 9 1/4”
40 Yard Dash: N/A
10 Yard Split: N/A
Vertical: 32”
Broad Jump: 9’ 9”
Short Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 20
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Statistics
Career: 597 Carries - 3,494 Yards - 6.8 YPC - 35 Touchdowns
2023: 181 Carries - 984 Yards - 5.4 YPC - 12 Touchdowns
Strengths
Tank-like frame with 95th percentile height and weight
Long strider with the build up speed to do damage in the open field
Play strength and downhill vision to be an impact short yardage back
Traditional pro-style back with elite college production
Excels as north-south runner in a gap scheme
Contact balance to plow through defenders for extra yards
Competent check down option
Size and IQ to hold his own in pass pro
Solid instincts out in space
Powerful stiff arm to bury DBs on the edge
Weaknesses
Below average agility and change of direction skills
Lacks creativity and the ability to alter his tempo as a runner
Scheme specific player who struggles operating out of the gun and on most zone concepts
Tendency to bounce plays that don't need to be
Plays tend to stall out once his feet come to a stop
Marginal burst through the hole
High pad level limits his ability to drive piles
Doesn't always play up to his size as a ball carrier
Lacks a diverse route tree due to average athleticism
Inconsistent technique as a pass protector
Struggled to adjust to new scheme in 2023 and confidence suffered
Summary
Braelon Allen is a traditional pro-style back who is at his best when he can get north and south. The former 4-Star recruit is the latest in a line of productive Wisconsin backs. The 3x All-Big 10 runner consistently marked as one of the premier backs in college football finishing his Badger career with almost 3,500 yards and 35 scores before the age of 21. Allen’s best years (and two 1,000 yard seasons) came in 2021 and 2022 when Wisconsin still ran their old school system. He is at his most confident and decisive as a runner in a gap scheme that primarily lives under center. Under center gap runs allow him get get his shoulders downhill and weaponize his size and strength. Allen has fantastic contact balance and leg drive that makes him difficult to stop for no-gain leading to excellent short yardage production. He has solid long speed in the open field due to long strides, it does take a bit for him to get going, but once he opens it up he can really move for a big man. Allen’s overall play and consistency dropped in 2023 when the Badgers moved to a shotgun heavy offense that featured a heavy dose of zone runs. He looked less confident with his reads and became far too bounce heavy for a back of his size. Allen is a below average athlete in terms of quickness and agility. He struggles to elude defenders in the hole and runs typically stall out when his feet get stopped. The change in offense was a poor fit for his gifts and he never seemed to get comfortable. Allen will likely never be an impact player on third down, his lack of burst and quickness limit his ability as a route runner and receiver. However, he does have competent hands as a checkdown option and the size and IQ to hold up in pass protection when called upon. Allen projects best as a early down thumper in a pro style gap scheme. He lacks the quickness or agility to be a true difference maker and it will limit he potential landing spots. Allen should find himself as a late Day 2, potentially early Day 3 pick, who is brought in to improve a teams power rush profile and short yardage success.