WCG’s lead draft analyst speaks with Wisconsin’s superstar running back.
Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen is a household name in Big Ten country.
Starting off his collegiate career at the age of 17, Allen has been one of the best running backs in college football ever since his first season with the Badgers in 2021. He tallied 3,494 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns in his three seasons at Wisconsin, and after being named an All-Big Ten runner three years in a row, he has a strong case as one of, if not the best running back in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Windy City Gridiron spoke with Allen about his partnership with Head & Shoulders, maintaining his agility at his size, adjusting to a more pass-heavy offense in 2023, and more.
JI: We’re here through your partnership with Head & Shoulders. As someone who wears a helmet all the time, can you speak to the importance of limiting dandruff?
BA: Yeah, so you kind of hit it for me. Especially during the season, when we have helmets on every single day, I make it a point to use my Head & Shoulders on a consistent daily basis to keep my scalp clean, keep the dandruff in check, and keep my hair nice and curly and shining.
JI: Some might say you have some of the best hair in the class. What’s your secret?
BA: There’s really no special routine, just daily conditioning and every other day shampoo, sometimes using both. And, of course, the Head & Shoulders; it’s the best product that I use, so I use it on on a daily basis.
JI: You accomplished a lot during your time at Wisconsin. What’s your memory from your time with the Badgers?
BA: Definitely, for one, winning the Axe back [by beating Minnesota] this past year, and then my freshman year game against Nebraska.
JI: You’re one of the biggest and strongest backs in the class, but you’re also light on your feet. What goes into maintaining a bigger frame without sacrificing athleticism?
BA: I think the biggest thing is definitely diet. It’s something that I take very seriously, and it’s very, very regimented, very scripted, especially throughout the season. During the season, I do gluten free, dairy free, no fried foods, and no artificial sugars. It’s really, really strict, and it works and helps me stay in shape. I come out of it looking the way I wanted to, and feeling the way I wanted to.
JI: What are some of your go-to foods, especially on such a strict diet?
BA: I also do the intermittent fasting, so I won’t eat really until normally noon. I always always like my first meal to be breakfast, so the go-to is definitely eggs, turkey bacon. That’s pretty much the first meal normally, and then when it comes to dinner, maybe type of protein, and you get some carbs in some way, whether it’s rice, gluten-free bread, and then vegetables, of course.
JI: You experienced a change in head coach and offensive scheme in 2023. What went into adjusting to more of that pass-heavier system?
BA: Of course, it’s different than what Wisconsin is known for, and a lot different than what I played in my first few years, but when it came to the adjustment, I was really fortunate to have a great position coach, [Wisconsin running backs coach Devon] Spalding. He made it very easy to make that adjustment when it came to learning the playbook and learn how we fit in that scheme, understanding our jobs, but also understanding what we’re trying to do as an offense and understand other people’s jobs. That way, you know, we’re able to do ours more effectively. At the end of the day, it’s just football; it just looks a little different. I’m a running back, and my job is to score touchdowns, protect the quarterback and catch the ball here and there. So, at the end of the day, it’s just football.
JI: I want to break down your pre-snap approach. It’ll depend on the play, but generally what goes through your mind, and what are the first actions you’re looking to take after the snap?
BA: What a lot of people don’t know is if you’re a running back, you’re not just really trying to find the hole and doing whatever out there. Every run play, you have what we’ll call a read key. It could be a particular person, whether it’s on the D-line or a linebacker. I think my pre-snap routine normally on a run play is identifying that read key, seeing the front — where’s the 3-tech, where could potentially this hit. Then, obviously, making a decision based off of what that 3-tech does. Passing-wise, we have a routine we call GASS: get the signal, align properly, see the front, see the shell. That shows basically just the secondary, and in a [pass] protection sense, I will tell you everything you need to know, who potentially could be blitzing. You’ll have set protections, where you have specific guys [you’re assigned to block]. Seeing the shells will tell you the keys that you need to know to pick up whoever could potentially be your conflict player.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
BA: I honestly don’t do much; I don’t really have too many hobbies. I like to golf here and there. I picked up pickleball, me and my trainer. We’ve been grinding pickleball lately, but other than that, just playing video games, watching YouTube, Netflix, things like that.
JI: I always find myself getting smoked by- 60 or 70-year-old people playing pickleball. It’s insane.
BA: My gosh, we’ll run doubles with this old couple, they’ll smack us every time. They can’t move as well, so they’ll try to get you to move and hit them all over the place. They’re trying to hit the ball at a weird angle, and it’s not fun when you get [against] that.
JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
BA: Just a team-first guy. That’s the biggest thing for me, is the team’s always gonna go ahead of myself. I don’t care what way I have to make an impact. I don’t care if it’s special teams. I don’t care if it’s 40, 45, 50 carries a game. I don’t care if it’s to pick up a couple first downs. Whatever I got to do to help us win, I’m more than willing. I’m a hard, physical runner and also willing to protect the passer, keep him upright and let him cook up, and just doing everything I can to win.
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