Making the case: Why Beau Allen could be UK’s starting quarterback this year
We probably won’t officially know who UK’s starting quarterback for the first game of the 2021 season will be until the end of fall camp. Over the course of the next week, the Herald-Leader will be breaking down the cases for why each scholarship quarterback on the Wildcats’ roster could, or could not, be this year’s starter. First up, Beau Allen.
Background: Allen was a highly coveted, four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class whom UK recruited since he was a freshman at nearby Lexington Catholic High School. He signed with the Wildcats over Duke, Georgia and West Virginia, among several others. He enrolled in January 2020 and appeared in two games as a true freshman last season, completing three of his seven pass attempts for 40 yards. He’s the son of former UK quarterback Bill Allen, who played from 1984-1988. One of his former high school coaches, ex-Cat Mark Perry, is entering his third season as a quality-control assistant at UK.
Why Beau?: In his limited series for UK last year, and going back to his high school days at LexCath, Allen has shown promise as a guy who can regularly connect with receivers running the type of short-field crossing routes that should be a staple of Liam Coen’s offense. He was one of the leaders in the 2020 recruiting class, often hosting visiting recruits at his home when they were in town to see campus; several members of that class have already played snaps at UK, and with a year of Southeastern Conference-level conditioning under their belts are poised to offer more contributions in year two. If there’s a “fan favorite,” it’s probably Allen — he’s a Kentucky boy, a legacy recruit and has not been on the field enough times to demonstrate the kind of “warts” that would otherwise rub the shine off of a player who arrived in Lexington with great fanfare.
Why not?: He isn’t the slightest, but at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Allen isn’t the most physically imposing of UK’s options at QB, either; if Coen is inclined to lean toward a Jared Goff-type, build-wise, then Joey Gatewood or Will Levis more closely fits the bill. Allen early in the spring said he struggled with the level of footwork demanded from the position under Coen, but understood why it was important to improve that aspect of his game, particularly in regard to bettering his agility in the pocket. Being the second-youngest quarterback on Kentucky’s roster has its advantages, but also probably has coaches eyeing him as more of a long-term option at the position rather than “The Guy” for this season. If he were named the starter and things went south, it might not bode well for his confidence (or the staff’s confidence in him) in the years to come.
Guest analysis
Jeff Drummond, CatsIllustrated/Rivals: I still really like Allen as a long-term prospect, but I don’t think this is his year to take the reins. In some ways, I see him along the lines of a Mac Jones, who waited his turn at Alabama and developed into a first-round NFL Draft pick. It’s rare for quarterbacks to do that these days, but barring injuries or unexpected poor play from both Levis and Gatewood, that may be what the former LexCath star has to do.
Jon Hale, Courier-Journal: There’s a reason Kentucky coaches put so much effort into keeping Allen home as a recruit at Lexington Catholic. I’m still high on his long-term potential, but it feels like he might have slipped behind Levis and Gatewood in the immediate competition.
Nick Roush, Kentucky Sports Radio: Allen has all of the tools to be an SEC quarterback, they’re just not quite sharp enough yet. Another year or two in the weight room under the guidance of an NFL quarterbacks coach will put the local product in position to lead the Wildcats to new heights.
Derek Terry, The Cats Pause/247Sports: Allen could use another season to add more muscle mass to his slender frame. Allen has the intangibles needed and could grow into a good quarterback for the Cats, but it likely won’t be this year.
