9/17/2020 football Edit

Wisconsin commit Braelon Allen reclassifies to the 2021 class

Jon McNamara • BadgerBlitz

Editor

Jon McNamara is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has covered UW athletics since 2002 and has worked at Rivals.com since 2006.

Wisconsin took a big step forward Thursday afternoon in its effort to sign the best recruiting class during the Rivals.com era.

The help, though, came in an unexpected form when junior commit Braelon Allen, a four-star in-state safety from Fond du Lac High School, announced he would reclassify to the 2021 class.

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound projected safety, Allen chose the Badgers in July over offers from Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Now a member of the 2021 class, Allen will pair with fellow four-star prospect Hunter Wohler to form the best safety duo UW has ever landed in the same recruiting cycle.

"That was huge," Allen told BadgerBlitz.com in a previous interview. "Hunter's a great player and I don't think it could have played out any better for the two top safeties in the state - ever, I think - to team up for our home state. Hopefully we bring home a national title."

Prior to his announcement, Allen was ranked as the No. 85 prospect in the 2022 class and No. 5 safety in the nation. How he fits in terms of rankings in the senior cycle is undetermined at this point.

Wisconsin currently has the No. 16 recruiting class in the country, but Allen's move could vault the Badgers as high as No. 12.

Allen and Wohler, both of whom are arriving on campus in June, are expected to compete for time right away for coordinator Jim Leonhard, who will lose seniors Eric Burrell, Collin Wilder and Madison Cone at the conclusion of the 2020 season.