Longhorns add another elite defender with commitment from safety BJ Allen

The Texas Longhorns have been on one heck of a recruiting role ever since Steve Sarkisian took over as head coach. On Sunday, Texas’ momentum continued to build with the Longhorns landing a commitment from another top national prospect.

Aledo safety Bryan Allen Jr. announced on Twitter moments ago that he’d made his decision, giving Texas its sixth commitment in the month of February. The 6-1, 188-pound Allen is a Rivals250 member and joins cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau as a defensive back commitment for the Longhorns.

Allen was a longtime LSU commitment before re-opening his recruitment in January. Since that time, Texas has made steady progress with the playmaking safety thanks in large part to the efforts of new assistant coaches Blake Gideon and Terry Joseph.

“They both seem cool,” Allen said about the UT staff members recently. “(Texas is) close to home and they have good academics.”

The nation’s No. 11-ranked safety prospect, Allen was named District 4-5A-II Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors first as a freshman at Fort Worth Southwest. In 2019, his first season at Aledo, he earned the same honor. Last season, as a junior, Allen earned All-District 5-5A honors.

“Allen is a true center fielder at safety with the ability to cover a ton of ground and enforce the middle of the field -- whether it's in the form of run defense or in-coverage,” said Rivals.com recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman. “He's a versatile, well-rounded free safety with the versatility to cover one-on-one in addition to big-play potential when he can play over the top of receivers and make plays on the ball in mid-air.

Allen becomes the Longhorns’ seventh commitment overall in the 2022 class. He’s Texas’ third pledge on the defensive side of the ball, joining Guilbeau and linebacker Trevell Johnson. Texas’ recruiting class currently ranks No. 4 nationally.