EA on '15: The right approach
Justin Rowland
EagleAction.com Recruiting Analyst
Nobody knows which incoming BC freshman will have the best career at the Heights and maybe beyond, but some people close to the program believe Zach Allen's ceiling is the highest.
People close to the program told EagleAction.com that, right from the time of Allen's commitment through today, the New Canaan, Conn., defensive end was someone the staff was extremely impressed with. There was some real disappointment when Allen initially committed to Northwestern, and while Allen remained a part of BC's recruiting strategy after he appeared Big Ten-bound it wasn't until much later that he seemed a real possibility.
A couple of passing mentions in the media and on message boards were made of Steve Addazio's trip to New Canaan last fall. At the time, sources wanted to keep that visit quiet. It was written off as an easy stop on the way to see other Connecticut recruits. But it sure seemed like that explanation didn't really tell the whole story. Many people suspected that at the time. They were right.
It's not as though Addazio went incognito. The Eagles' head coach was in plain view at a New Canaan game, accompanied by assistant coach Frank Leonard. They had to know they would be seen, and they were. It was reported, but EagleAction.com was also recently told that Northwestern's staff never seemed to be too concerned that they were on the verge of losing Allen.
BC's coaching staff let Allen know how important he was to the program's future. They made the case he would be a perfect fit in Don Brown's attacking-style defense. Just as important, they invested a lot of time and energy into courting the whole family, recognizing family birthdays and emphasizing personal relationships. It was genuine but it's also the kind of thing that recruits and their families recognize.
Allen's decision to flip was ultimately his decision, but some believe his parents might have played a role. Not necessarily so much in pushing Allen towards BC, but in giving the nod of approval to the Eagles and maybe acknowledging BC could make a strong case.
At one point Addazio had a conversation with Allen's father that seemed to crack a door that was once closed. From there the relationship developed more than it had before his first commitment, and Allen ultimately chose BC.
Through it all he seemed aware that it was a very difficult situation. Backing out of a commitment is easy for some players and even some die-hard fans are cold to it. It's so common. But for Allen it wasn't a decision he arrived at lightly. He wanted to be entirely sure of what he was doing before he changed course in such a drastic way.
According to sources, a conclusion was reached that an official visit to BC probably wasn't the best idea. We aren't entirely sure why, but that could have sent up a lot of red flags. Really, any visit from a player committed elsewhere is enough to raise eyebrows. Coaches are often paranoid recruiters for a reason.
EagleAction.com was told that Allen's unofficial visit to BC late in the process was basically the same kind of trip as an official visit, only he paid his own way. Allen knew he was a big priority before the visit but there, on campus, the Eagles really put on a furious full court press. Their efforts paid off, of course.
It helps that the committed recruits welcomed Allen in like he had been part of the class for a long time already. They knew about him, of course, as one of the region's top players. Allen became good friends with Florida defensive end Wyatt Ray, someone that hopes to terrorize opposing quarterbacks with Allen.
So why exactly was Allen such a priority for Boston College? Aside from being one of New England's best recruits, his film speaks for itself. He's very big and moves very, very well for a player his size.
Allen, one source says, is "an anchor" for the BC defense in the future. He can play defensive end and there's a real confidence he can be a rock in stuffing the run - something you can't say about a lot of defensive ends these days. Couple that with the fact that he could move inside if he gets big enough and he could be an answer at defensive tackle. That's a position that's always tough to recruit, and with Christian Wilkins and Aaron Crawford opting to attend other schools, Ray Smith may need some help from a classmate down the road. Time will tell.
Said the same source: "We knew he could be special. He has the body. He has the first step. He can be a special player," he concluded.
Justin Rowland
EagleAction.com Recruiting Analyst
Nobody knows which incoming BC freshman will have the best career at the Heights and maybe beyond, but some people close to the program believe Zach Allen's ceiling is the highest.
People close to the program told EagleAction.com that, right from the time of Allen's commitment through today, the New Canaan, Conn., defensive end was someone the staff was extremely impressed with. There was some real disappointment when Allen initially committed to Northwestern, and while Allen remained a part of BC's recruiting strategy after he appeared Big Ten-bound it wasn't until much later that he seemed a real possibility.
A couple of passing mentions in the media and on message boards were made of Steve Addazio's trip to New Canaan last fall. At the time, sources wanted to keep that visit quiet. It was written off as an easy stop on the way to see other Connecticut recruits. But it sure seemed like that explanation didn't really tell the whole story. Many people suspected that at the time. They were right.
It's not as though Addazio went incognito. The Eagles' head coach was in plain view at a New Canaan game, accompanied by assistant coach Frank Leonard. They had to know they would be seen, and they were. It was reported, but EagleAction.com was also recently told that Northwestern's staff never seemed to be too concerned that they were on the verge of losing Allen.
BC's coaching staff let Allen know how important he was to the program's future. They made the case he would be a perfect fit in Don Brown's attacking-style defense. Just as important, they invested a lot of time and energy into courting the whole family, recognizing family birthdays and emphasizing personal relationships. It was genuine but it's also the kind of thing that recruits and their families recognize.
Allen's decision to flip was ultimately his decision, but some believe his parents might have played a role. Not necessarily so much in pushing Allen towards BC, but in giving the nod of approval to the Eagles and maybe acknowledging BC could make a strong case.
At one point Addazio had a conversation with Allen's father that seemed to crack a door that was once closed. From there the relationship developed more than it had before his first commitment, and Allen ultimately chose BC.
Through it all he seemed aware that it was a very difficult situation. Backing out of a commitment is easy for some players and even some die-hard fans are cold to it. It's so common. But for Allen it wasn't a decision he arrived at lightly. He wanted to be entirely sure of what he was doing before he changed course in such a drastic way.
According to sources, a conclusion was reached that an official visit to BC probably wasn't the best idea. We aren't entirely sure why, but that could have sent up a lot of red flags. Really, any visit from a player committed elsewhere is enough to raise eyebrows. Coaches are often paranoid recruiters for a reason.
EagleAction.com was told that Allen's unofficial visit to BC late in the process was basically the same kind of trip as an official visit, only he paid his own way. Allen knew he was a big priority before the visit but there, on campus, the Eagles really put on a furious full court press. Their efforts paid off, of course.
It helps that the committed recruits welcomed Allen in like he had been part of the class for a long time already. They knew about him, of course, as one of the region's top players. Allen became good friends with Florida defensive end Wyatt Ray, someone that hopes to terrorize opposing quarterbacks with Allen.
So why exactly was Allen such a priority for Boston College? Aside from being one of New England's best recruits, his film speaks for itself. He's very big and moves very, very well for a player his size.
Allen, one source says, is "an anchor" for the BC defense in the future. He can play defensive end and there's a real confidence he can be a rock in stuffing the run - something you can't say about a lot of defensive ends these days. Couple that with the fact that he could move inside if he gets big enough and he could be an answer at defensive tackle. That's a position that's always tough to recruit, and with Christian Wilkins and Aaron Crawford opting to attend other schools, Ray Smith may need some help from a classmate down the road. Time will tell.
Said the same source: "We knew he could be special. He has the body. He has the first step. He can be a special player," he concluded.
