WR Vernon Allen talks pair of Big Ten visits, goals heading into fall
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Aug 22, 2023
- 2 min read
Baltimore City (MD) wrapped up its first scrimmage last week and is set for its final tune-up this upcoming weekend before the Sept. 1 opener against Edgewood. 2025 athlete Vernon Allen is in line for a big role on both sides of the ball as the 6-foot-1.5, 193-pounds is set to emerge among the state’s best prospects in the 2025 class. “I’m playing outside linebacker. Mainly covering pass downs, pass rush situations,” Allen told IBG. But his role on offense is still where his heart sits as the explosive wideout will look to go improve from 16 touchdowns as a sophomore to 26 touchdowns this fall. Allen also takes a double-digit offer sheet into the fall with Maryland, UNC, Michigan, Penn State, Duke, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among the schools throwing their hats into the ring early. With conference realignment swirling, another school has been showing strong interest. “I’ve been getting a lot of mail, calls from everybody. USC has been calling a lot, Maryland has been calling a lot. Virginia Tech,” Allen told IBG. His two most recent visits were in Big Ten territory, though, with a trip to Penn State back on July 28. One day later, Allen and his teammate, Jahmari Powell-Wonson, made the trip to Maryland where he was able to meet more of the extended staff. “I actually got to talk to a lot of the new recruiting coordinators, just getting to know them. It was nice, pretty relaxed so mainly just hung out with everyone up there.” Inside linebacker coach Lance Thompson and wide receiver coach Gunter Brewer have teamed up to lead the way for Allen, but it’s his position recruiter that he’s built a natural relationship with. “I’ve been hearing from too but I’ve been talking to coach Brewer a little bit more,” Allen said. “Maryland has actually always been working on building the relationships since the beginning of the year.” https://twitter.com/1vernonn/status/1643429040257105921 Having Powell-Wonson in the fold for the Terps’ 2024 class have aided their efforts as they prioritize the local receiver in the 2025 class, and Allen has been able to get an early grasp of the offensive fit. “They run a lot of stuff. If I were to go to Maryland, I’d have to play different receiver spots, not just outside receiver. They move their receivers around a lot, so I like that versatility." While he doesn’t have any visits set, Allen knows one game he wants to get to this fall. “I want to go to the White Out.” Allen is rated a three-star prospect and an 86 overall by On3, sitting as the 20th-best prospect in Maryland. Related Links Additional second scrimmage notes + edge recruiting (+)
