Jonathan Allen's decision to return for his senior season as an Alabama defensive end has worked out well for those in the Crimson Tide family and not so well for those who have faced him.
Entering Saturday afternoon's Southeastern Conference championship game against Florida, the 6-foot-3, 291-pounder has been the starting point of a commanding defense that did not allow a touchdown in November.
Allen isn't recognized just among the best defensive linemen in college football but among the best overall talents, joining Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, Washington quarterback Jake Browning, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and Michigan linebacker/return specialist Jabrill Peppers earlier this week as a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
"Jonathan Allen is a fantastic player for us and an even better person and leader," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "He's had an outstanding year. I think he's sort of someone who a lot of players should look at, because he came here weighing probably 250 pounds, and we kind of recruited him as an outside linebacker.
"The guy has developed each and every year into being a better and better player. Sometimes a lot of players lose sight of how football is a developmental game and how players can improve their value by continuing to grow and develop in college, and Jonathan Allen is a great example of that."
A former five-star recruit out of Leesburg, Va., Allen will play in his 54th college game Saturday and make his 36th career start. He has racked up 52 tackles this season, as well as a team-high 13 quarterback hurries, 11.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two fumble returns for touchdowns, including a 75-yarder in September's 48-43 win at Ole Miss.
Allen's 40.5 career tackles for loss rank among the top five in program history, and his 25 career sacks are tied for second. There is no doubting he made the correct decision to return.
"I would say, personally for me, that I've just shown that I can be an every-down player," Allen said.
Alabama leads the nation in scoring defense (allowing 11.4 points per game), rushing defense (68.7 yards per game) and defensive touchdowns (nine.) The Crimson Tide have allowed just three rushing touchdowns and six red-zone touchdowns all season.
The season-ending surge has led to a debate as to whether this is Alabama's best defense ever, but Allen is leaving that for others to decide.
"Personally, we really don't focus on that, to be honest with you," he said. "I know this sounds a little boring, but we just try to go with the mindset of controlling what we can control. Throughout the whole week of practice, we try to eliminate the distractions and just go out there and play good football Monday through Thursday, because we feel that's what makes us play good on Saturday.
"When we go out there Saturday, we just try to dominate - just do your job and dominate the opposing offense. That's the legacy we want. That's all we can focus on, because we feel our legacy is dependent on how we finish the season. That's kind of what we're focused on right now, just finishing the season the right way."
Allen played his first three years under coordinator Kirby Smart, who just finished his first regular season as Georgia's head coach. His final go-around has occurred under Jeremy Pruitt, who was Alabama's secondary coach until just before Allen signed with the Tide. Pruitt coached defensive backs and was the defensive coordinator at Florida State in 2013 and held those same roles in 2014 and '15 at Georgia before returning to Tuscaloosa.
"Coach Pruitt has meant a lot to me," Allen said. "He's a guy I knew before he came back, and there has been no drop-off between him and Coach Kirby. He's done a heck of a job of rallying behind us and supporting us, and we're all behind him 100 percent. I feel like we do a lot of things better than last year, and we probably don't do some things as well, but it's so hard to compare.
"We have different players and different coaches, but this is definitely a special unit and probably one of my favorite defenses I've ever been a part of."
Allen had a sack in last December's 29-15 win over Florida in the SEC title game, so he won't be sneaking up on the Gators in the rematch. Not that it seems to matter, based on Allen's brilliant career.
"He's a great player who's physical, active, strong and tough," Florida quarterback Austin Appleby said. "He's disruptive, and we're going to have to get a plan for him."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.