–> Follow @Tony Liebert on Twitter
Not even 48 hours removed from the Gophers retaining Paul Bunyan’s Axe, P.J. Fleck reeled in a big commitment from the transfer portal pool. Wisconsin-transfer wide receiver Markus Allen pledged to the Maroon & Gold Monday, giving the Gophers a big-time talent in the WR room. Allen was a 4-star prospect in the 2021 class, before recording 10 rec for 156 yds and 1 TD in 1.5ish seasons in Madison.
RTB…📍 pic.twitter.com/AmXHkOeKAM
— Markus Allen☆ (@MarkusAllen19) November 28, 2022
Who is Markus Allen?:
Hailing from Clayton, Ohio Markus Allen was one of the top WR prospects in the class of 2021. Listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Allen held top offers from Michigan, Michigan State and Kentucky. After enrolling in the spring of 2021, he totaled 3 catches for 65 yards in his true freshman season with the Badgers. In 2022, he recorded 7 catches for 91 yards and 1 TD before entering the transfer portal after the surprise firing of Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst. It ultimately seemed like the decision came down to Kansas and Minnesota before Allen settled on the Gophers.
- Scouting Report:
Listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, I believe Allen has a different skill set than the wide receivers currently on the Gophers roster. He has the build of a running back and the skills of a pass catcher, much like that of Deebo Samuel in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Markus Allen is Deebo Samuel, but they both play similar games and I could see Allen being utilized in a similar way. Chris Autman-Bell and Daniel Jackson often win with route running and Dylan Wright is a true jump ball option. I believe Allen uses his size and athleticism to win at the line, which gives the Gophers a very interesting option in the passing game.
**Wisconsin Highlights:
6’2 205 WR. 3 Years of Eligibility left. pic.twitter.com/yYfWbZA3Sk
— Markus Allen☆ (@MarkusAllen19) October 19, 2022
Instant Reaction:
Admittingly, I thought it was interesting for the Gophers to be so eager to target a WR this early in the transfer portal process. While the position group certainly under-performed this season, I still think there are other positions on this roster that could use an upgrade in talent. Initially, this commitment tells me that the Gophers’ staff expects at least to lose one current WR to the portal. With, CrAB returning, Daniel Jackson developing and Le’Meke Brockington emerging; Dylan Wright or Michael Brown-Stephens seem like the most likely options to enter the portal.
With that being said, Markus Allen is talented enough of a player to carve out a role, no matter who is on the roster. The wide receivers seemed to step us Saturday against Wisconsin, as Daniel Jackson and Dylan Wright turned in some of the best performances of the season and Le’Meke Brockington reeled in his first career touchdown. I believe the improved play from the position had a large impact on the outcome of the game. With all that being said Markus Allen is now the third former 4-star HS WR prospect currently on the Gophers roster and having too many mouths to feed is a good problem to have.
What is next?:
As I mentioned earlier, the Gophers WR room now has a surplus of talent. With at least six players that can and should contribute at the FBS level, I personally would be shocked if we don’t see at least one enter the transfer portal.
– Chris Autman-Bell
– Daniel Jackson
– Markus Allen
– Dylan Wright
– Le’Meke Brockington
– Michael Brown-Stephens
With the new rules, the transfer portal officially “opens” on December 5th and closes on January 15th. So as we have already seen with Gophers DB Jalen Glaze and DL Gage Keys entering the portal themselves, this offseason will only get crazier. My advice for Gophers fans would be to buckle up because I expect this to be one of the craziest offseasons yet. I would argue that Coach Fleck’s portal decisions last off-season played a large role in the disappointment of 2022. Defensive line should be the clear-cut No. 1 position group to target this year, and there should be plenty of options to look at.
With early national signing day less than a month away and the transfer portal chaos already beginning the next month will likely have a lot of Gophers roster news to look out for.