Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen was the only Badger to make ESPN’s Top 100 players of the 2023 season. He barely made the cut, slotting in at No. 96.
The list, headlined by LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, is thorough. Allen was joined in the 95-100 range by Colorado State DE Mohamed Kamara, Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston, UTSA LB Trey Moore, Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman and Alabama OLB Chris Braswell.
I can’t speak for everybody, but I know a lot more about Braelon Allen’s game than that of a defensive end at Colorado State or linebacker at UTSA. The point: I won’t say other members of the Badgers (CB Ricardo Hallman, S Hunter Wohler, K Nathanial Vakos) were snubbed, as I myself couldn’t have named Trey Moore as a starter at UTSA.
CFB Player Rank: Top 100 players of the 2023 season https://t.co/bXJn4p4eh4
— College Football (@CollegeFootball) January 3, 2024
That said, Allen did cap off his Wisconsin Badger career with 984 yards (third in the Big Ten) and 12 touchdowns (second). While we didn’t see the dominance we saw in previous years, it was another solid season as the engine of the Badgers’ offense.
He now enters the NFL Draft with the hope of following in the footsteps of the long list of successful Wisconsin running backs at the next level.