by Bill Seals
Iowa State’s latest commitment for the Class of 2016 had offers from a multitude of Power-5 schools and could have taken any one of several including Michigan and Nebraska, which he took official visits to earlier this month.
But in the end, Nixa (Mo.) three-star tight end Chase Allen said it was his love for the Cyclones and the opportunities that were presented to him on and off the field. The fact he lived in Ames while his father Terry Allen was an assistant coach under Dan McCarney also didn’t hurt matters.
“How recruiting goes today is people just assume that kids will go to the biggest school that offers them,” said Allen, who also had Power-5 offers from the likes of Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Oklahoma State.
“I probably would have fell victim to that too if it wasn’t for the influence that my family and father had on me. I took a moment, stepped back and looked at what school is the best fit for athletically, academically and having a coach I was comfortable with. When I look at all those different factors, it was a no-brainer to Iowa State. I’m very excited to get up there and be part of the storm that’s brewing.”
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Allen, the fifth-ranked recruit in the state of Missouri and 23rd overall at his position nationally, said he confided in his father throughout the process.
“My family is very proud of me,” Allen said. “(Terry) knew especially that it took a lot of courage to choose Iowa State. The easy way out would have just been choosing Michigan or Nebraska, but he knew it was the right fit for me and knows me the best. I’m glad he got me to see his way.”
While it was I-State assistant coach Alex Golesh that got the Cyclones’ foot in the door for Allen, the work done by head man Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Tom Manning that helped the staff seal the deal.
“(Golesh) was the first guy to give me a Power-5 conference offer at Illinois,” Allen said. “That was a big deal and it was a big factor when he got the position there at Iowa State.
“I really got the chance to talk to Coach Campbell and Coach Manning, and they were some of the favorite guys I met throughout the recruiting process. They got a chance to come out yesterday, watch my game and hang out with everyone here. That helped me make the decision I did after that experience.”
During Allen’s one-day official visit to Ames on Monday, Golesh had a pretty good feeling that his coveted tight end prospect could be heading to ISU eventually.
“I believe the term Coach Golesh used to Coach Campbell was ‘if this kid listens to his heart, he’s coming to Iowa State’,” Allen said. “I think that’s a really true statement. That’s how I’ve been looking at things the whole time. They were really excited about it. We’re going to start something special up there.”
As a senior tight end for Nixa, Allen caught 33 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. He also played middle linebacker and racked up 92 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Iowa State’s latest commitment for the Class of 2016 had offers from a multitude of Power-5 schools and could have taken any one of several including Michigan and Nebraska, which he took official visits to earlier this month.
But in the end, Nixa (Mo.) three-star tight end Chase Allen said it was his love for the Cyclones and the opportunities that were presented to him on and off the field. The fact he lived in Ames while his father Terry Allen was an assistant coach under Dan McCarney also didn’t hurt matters.
“How recruiting goes today is people just assume that kids will go to the biggest school that offers them,” said Allen, who also had Power-5 offers from the likes of Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Oklahoma State.
“I probably would have fell victim to that too if it wasn’t for the influence that my family and father had on me. I took a moment, stepped back and looked at what school is the best fit for athletically, academically and having a coach I was comfortable with. When I look at all those different factors, it was a no-brainer to Iowa State. I’m very excited to get up there and be part of the storm that’s brewing.”
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Allen, the fifth-ranked recruit in the state of Missouri and 23rd overall at his position nationally, said he confided in his father throughout the process.
“My family is very proud of me,” Allen said. “(Terry) knew especially that it took a lot of courage to choose Iowa State. The easy way out would have just been choosing Michigan or Nebraska, but he knew it was the right fit for me and knows me the best. I’m glad he got me to see his way.”
While it was I-State assistant coach Alex Golesh that got the Cyclones’ foot in the door for Allen, the work done by head man Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Tom Manning that helped the staff seal the deal.
“(Golesh) was the first guy to give me a Power-5 conference offer at Illinois,” Allen said. “That was a big deal and it was a big factor when he got the position there at Iowa State.
“I really got the chance to talk to Coach Campbell and Coach Manning, and they were some of the favorite guys I met throughout the recruiting process. They got a chance to come out yesterday, watch my game and hang out with everyone here. That helped me make the decision I did after that experience.”
During Allen’s one-day official visit to Ames on Monday, Golesh had a pretty good feeling that his coveted tight end prospect could be heading to ISU eventually.
“I believe the term Coach Golesh used to Coach Campbell was ‘if this kid listens to his heart, he’s coming to Iowa State’,” Allen said. “I think that’s a really true statement. That’s how I’ve been looking at things the whole time. They were really excited about it. We’re going to start something special up there.”
As a senior tight end for Nixa, Allen caught 33 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. He also played middle linebacker and racked up 92 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.
