Coming off of the 2001 season, size and speed were immediate concerns for head coach Denver Johnson and the Illinois State football program. The Redbirds got off on the right foot during the mid-year junior college transfer signing period with the addition of cornerback Brandon Allen from Plantation, Fla.
Allen, who was recruited by Florida, Florida State and Miami as a junior, is a high school midterm player from Hollywood Hills High School. The 6-foot-3 and 210-pound signee is enrolled at Illinois State for the Spring 2002 semester.
Brandon is an outstanding athlete with great size and speed, Johnson said. He was recruited as a corner, but could play every stand up position on defense and has some great potential as receiver as well. He is a very versatile guy that we think will make an immediate impact on our football team.
As a receiver, Allen had 25 receptions for 535 yards with six touchdowns and a kickoff returned for a touchdown. He was recognized as an all-American by CBS, Prep Star and Nike during his junior season. Allen was also ranked as the 76th best prep player in the nation by Rivals.com and honored as the Broward County offensive player of the year by the
Allen has also had is share of success on the hardwood. As a junior, he was named a Nike All-American in basketball and he has been listed as one of the nations top 15 point guards. Last season, Allen averaged 18.0 points, 8.7 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
