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Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen announced Tuesday that he plans to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Here’s what you need to know:

• Allen rushed for 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns in three years, including 984 yards and 12 TDs in 11 games this season.
• Though he’s a junior at Wisconsin, the 245-pound Allen is just 19 years old and will turn 20 in January.
• A four-star recruit from Fond Du Lac, Wisc., he reclassified from 2022 to the Class of 2021.

“Playing for Wisconsin and wearing the motion W has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Allen said in a video released on social media. “I was proud to carry on the incredible legacy of RBU and follow in the footsteps of so many great running backs. I’ve tried to represent UW and my state with dignity and pride, and I wanted to leave this program on even more solid footing than when I arrived. And I have no doubt the Badgers are headed in the right direction.”

Thank you God 🙏🏾
Thank you Badger Nation ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BThdHTYL8e

— Braelon Allen (@BraelonAllen) November 28, 2023

How is Allen viewed as a draft prospect?

At 6-2, 245, Allen is as tough as they come between the tackles and will rattle a defender’s teeth in pass pro if given the opportunity. A big man who can run on his toes, Allen is more than a one-cut downhill back and runs with a lot more wiggle than people might realize based on his size.

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A tough early-down back who can also protect, Allen is also just 19. There are fumble concerns here, though, as Allen’s coughed the ball up nine times in three years (four this year, four in 2021). As much as he works after contact, ball security will be a question. — Nick Baumgardner, NFL Draft writer

What does this mean for Wisconsin?

Allen’s decision comes as no surprise. It’s something he and Luke Fickell openly discussed even before his junior season began. It was obvious after Wisconsin’s regular-season finale against Minnesota that he had played his final game in a Badgers uniform. He took part in the “chopping down” of the goal posts with Paul Bunyan’s Axe, which is something the Badgers typically reserve for seniors.

Wisconsin now heads into its bowl game presumably with Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli as the top two running backs. Acker missed the Minnesota game with an injury but started when Allen was hurt earlier this season. The only other running backs available are walk-on Grover Bortolotti and true freshman Nate White. Chez Mellusi suffered a broken left leg against Purdue on Sept. 22, and his recovery timetable has not been determined. — Jesse Temple, Wisconsin beat writer

How should Allen’s career be viewed?

Allen finishes his career ranked ninth in program history for career rushing yards with 3,494. That is a remarkable accomplishment considering he didn’t become a regular contributor at running back until midway through his freshman season and played essentially 2 1/2 seasons at the position. Allen is ahead of players such as Brent Moss, Terrell Fletcher, John Clay, Alan Ameche and Corey Clement.

Allen won’t go down as one of the greatest running backs ever at Wisconsin, but that’s largely because of how unbelievably good players such as Ron Dayne, Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor were during their time. Dayne won the Heisman Trophy, while Ball, Gordon and Taylor each won the Doak Walker Award for nation’s best running back (Taylor did so twice). Still, Allen was an in-state product who stayed home and delivered some memorable moments, including a 228-yard, three-touchdown game against Nebraska as a freshman, a pair of bowl game MVPs and some gritty performances in his final season. — Temple

Required reading

(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)

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