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Penn State safety compared to Kam Chancellor
Penn State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop had high praise and a heady comparison for safety Marcus Allen as the Nittany Lions held media day in Happy Valley.
"He's the undisputed quarterback of the defense," Shoop told reporters. "He probably is a lot to the defense what (PSU QB) Christian (Hackenberg) is to the offense. He's very vocal. He understands the defense inside and out."
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore played in all 13 games last season and started the final seven. He finished third on the team with 58 tackles, and much more is expected of him in 2015.
Shoop even threw around the name of a three-time Pro Bowler when discussing Allen.
"He watches a lot of Kam Chancellor film," the coach said of the Seattle Seahawks star. "He sees himself a little bit like that, that box-type safety who's very good in the run game. He is a good pass defender. He does have good range. He does have good quickness and speed."
Shoop got to see Allen all last year, but this year the player has earned notice from Jim Haslett, the former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator who is part of the Penn State staff this season.
"When Coach Haslett first came on the job, that was somebody that caught his attention and said if this guy can improve his ball skills a little bit, the sky's the limit for him," Shoop said. "He can take his game to the next level.
"And I do feel that way about Marcus, and the thing I really like about him is it's really, really important to him. He's on the JUGS machine every day. He's worked on it, and he's aware of his strengths, he's aware of his weaknesses, and he's looking forward to improving that piece of his game."
