Nussmeier Impressed by Freshman QB Allen's Competitiveness

The Gators signed quarterback Jake Allen out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/For UAA Communications)

Nussmeier Impressed by Freshman QB Allen's Competitiveness

Friday, February 3, 2017 | Football, Scott Carter

Jake Allen, a two-time state champion at Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas High, is ready to join the Gators' QB mix.

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In his two-plus years at Florida, Gators offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier has seen dramatic shifts among his position group.

He has already worked with four scholarship quarterbacks no longer on the roster in Treon Harris, Josh Grady, Will Grier and Austin Appleby. And of the four scholarship quarterbacks currently only the roster, only redshirt junior Luke Del Rio has ever thrown a pass in college.

When spring camp starts later this month, redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask will split reps since Del Rio is unavailable due to recent shoulder surgery. Florida head coach Jim McElwain said early enrollee Kadarius Toney, listed as a multi-purpose athlete on the roster, will also get time at quarterback in the spring.

Once summer arrives, freshman Jake Allen will join the mix. Allen signed with the Gators on Wednesday out of powerhouse program St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale.

"It's about time,'' Allen told reporters on National Signing Day. "I'm excited to get up there and compete. I committed so early, summer of my sophomore year, I couldn't get up there any faster."

Allen plans to enroll for the Summer A session in early May to get a head start.

As Allen said, he committed so early to the Gators that in some ways it seems he has been part of the program for two years. He served as a big Florida booster on social media and made multiple unofficial visits to get a better feel for the program.

"You talk about a guy that wants to be a Florida Gator and really understands what this program is all about and the great tradition here at the position and the three Heisman Trophy statues out front,'' Nussmeier said. "Jake gets all that. He's chomping at the bit to come in and compete. Really excited to add him to the mix and give us another guy that really could be the future of our quarterback position."

36793 — Gators signee Jake Allen led St. Thomas Aquinas to back-to-back state championships. (Photo: Courtesy of Miami Herald)

Allen's move to St. Thomas Aquinas paid off. He played for head coach Roger Harriott, who was Auburn quarterback Sean White's prep coach at the University School in South Florida.

The Raiders kept on winning, becoming the first Broward County program to win three consecutive state titles in December when STA crushed Tampa Plant, 45-6, in the Class 7A state championship. Allen completed 17 of 29 passes for 327 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in the victory at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Allen's prep career was nomadic.

He played at Boca Raton High as a freshman and transferred to Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons High as a sophomore. Still, Allen sought a make-or-break challenge. He wanted to test his skills against the best, so he transferred to STA prior to his junior season. The Raiders were coming off a state championship season and had a quarterback pegged as the starter.

Allen rewrote the story with his ambition and ability.

"First off, he went there and competed. He went there as a junior, wasn't the starter, and had to beat out the guy that they had kind of penciled as the starter," Nussmeier said. "So anytime you are willing to put yourself out there at a place like St. Thomas and compete against the best, that should show you something about the kid's character."

Allen isn't immune to adversity.

The low point of his prep career happened in STA's home opener this past season when he threw an interception at the 1-yard line in a 27-23 loss to Miami's Booker T. Washington High.

"It was brutal,'' Allen told SaturdayDownSouth.com. "I deleted Twitter for a couple of months. There are a lot of haters out there. Whenever you are partially to blame for a loss, it's not fun."

Instead of folding, the Raiders regrouped and Allen led them to a three-peat with the help of a talented receiving corps. Mike Harley, who signed with Miami on Wednesday, had three touchdown catches in the state title game.

Allen's father, Tim, is a former tight end at Boston University. The game is in his blood.

The next challenge is proving himself at the collegiate level.

Allen's interest in Florida truly took off when Florida hired McElwain after the 2014 season. Several months later, Allen committed after meeting the staff and learning more about the offense.

"You talk about leadership, he was the first guy who committed in this class,'' Nussmeier said.

Growing up, former UF quarterback Eric Kresser, who works with young quarterback prospects at his passing academy in South Florida, mentored Allen and remains a close advisor about the position.

Allen, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, passed for more than 4,500 yards and 51 touchdowns in his prep career.

He told SaturdayDownSouth.com in December he is coming to UF with the same mindset as when he transferred to STA.

"They need a guy to come in and take charge,'' he said. "I think Luke could be that guy. I think everyone is capable of being that guy. They can expect [from me] a guy to come in and take control of the team – I can lead guys. I can read a defense. I know where to go with the football."

By fall camp, Florida's quarterback battle should get even more interesting with Allen finally here.