Could Clemson football freshman Davis Allen contribute at tight end for the Tigers in 2019? He certainly will have an opportunity for playing time.
The 2019 Clemson football recruiting class had a total of 29 signees.
The Tigers were in dire need of signing a couple of tight ends in the class and they came away with two- 4-star Jaelyn Lay and 3-star Davis Allen.
Lay enrolled early and went through spring camp, but Allen won’t be on campus until later this summer. As we continue our series taking a look at the 2019 Clemson football freshmen, here’s our breakdown of tight end Davis Allen.
Talent Analysis:
Allen played both tight end and linebacker in high school. He is a physical, aggressive football player that isn’t afraid of contact.
The Tigers signed him because of the ability he possesses as a run-blocker. Allen’s not a guy that’s going to develop into Jordan Leggett.
Instead- with a 6-foot-5 and 220 pound frame- he projects similarly to Garrett Williams, at least in some aspects. His frame is big enough that he could easily add another 15-30 pounds and actually develop into a bigger blocker for the Tigers than that of Williams.
The big question for Allen will be if he can develop athletically and maintain enough speed to play the position, but he certainly has the attributes to become a solid option for the Tigers at tight end, especially as a lead-blocker.
Immediate Impact?
The Tigers don’t have Milan Richard, Garrett Williams or Cannon Smith this season. Braden Galloway has been suspended for a year. With that in mind, Clemson only has three scholarship tight ends on the roster- Lay, Allen and veteran JC Chalk.
Allen is going to have an opportunity to play just because of the fact that there aren’t many options at the position. He could end up manning that H-back position and becoming a solid contributor in the offense before this season is finished.