Post-Spring Projection: Armando Allen

Armando Allen is a tough running back to figure out.

Like so many of his sophomore classmates, Allen arrived with much fanfare and heavy expectations to bring early and big dividends.

Promotions of immediate breakaway touchdown runs and long kickoff returns were posted all over the Internet when Notre Dame landed the top prep player out of talent-rich Dade County in south Florida.

Allen and Julius Jones (1999) are considered the swiftest running back recruits for Notre Dame in the last decade. As evidence, Allen’s 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash checked out as the best among 550 competitors at the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl combine.

All that helps to make his 2007 single-carry highs of 15 rushing yards and 38 kickoff return yards so difficult to explain. Of course, we all have a tendency to put to much faith in freshmen.

“When you come in as a freshman, you feel like you’ve got so much pressure on you, you just don’t want to mess up,” Allen said of his first season. “I know that if I mess up now, it’s not a big deal. I always have a chance to redeem myself.”

Redemption was the word heard from all three of Notre Dame’s top running backs this spring. At 75.25 yards a game, the Irish running game ranked ahead of only four teams in the country last season.

So how does that production improve? And where does the nimble 190-pound Allen fit in that plan?

Maybe it’s playing behind and complementing 240-pound bruiser Robert Hughes. Maybe it will be playing in two-back sets alongside Hughes, kind of a repeat of the “Boom and Zoom” backfield combination the Irish featured 20 years ago with power back Tony Brooks and game-breaker Ricky Watters.

With James Aldridge also in the mix it’s difficult to say which direction Charlie Weis will go with his running game.

“They all had spurts,” Weis said early in the spring. “But I don't think any of them established themselves over the course of the year as being the guy. Those three guys have really worked hard in the off-season, because they are pushing each other. Because they all want to be the guy, and that's really turned into a very healthy situation for us at that position.”

Allen called his freshman season a learning experience and he vowed to make great strides as a sophomore. Like all the running backs, there were flashes last season. Allen started four games, played in all 12 and recorded a season high 91 rushing yards against Navy.

He was second on the team with 348 rushing yards last season and he showed his versatility with 24 receptions – which easily led all backs – and he led the Irish with 704 kickoff return yards.

The downside was Allen never showed his breakaway abilities. Allen averaged 4.0 yards per carry, 5.2 yards per reception and 21.3 yards per kickoff return. Like many young players, Allen also had some issues pass blocking and some problems protecting the football.

Running backs often make terrific strides between their freshman and sophomore seasons, and Armando Allen seems like a good candidate to do so. If the offensive line can show some improvement, maybe Allen will finally have time to get the ball in open space and show why he’s considered the best playmaking threat on the Irish offense.

What’s A Good Season?

Just overall better production would be a start. The per-touch averages need to come up in every area. Allen needs to find the end zone this season and he needs to help Notre Dame’s field position by hitting on a few plays of 30 yards or more.

With Hughes the frontrunner to become the go-to guy, Allen could very well become the complementary guy in 2007, and that will still bring plenty of opportunities to make plays with his versatility.

He’s a terrific receiver out of the backfield and he’ll again be the primary guy on kickoff returns. A good season for Allen will be about 500 rushing yards, at least 200 receiving yards and a kickoff return average of around 25 yards...AND SOME BIG PLAYS!