FAYETTEVILLE — A week ago, Austin Allen was tossing a football around Harmon Field and lobbing touchdown passes to his new Fayetteville teammates.
But now he’s back on the baseball diamond, fielding ground balls and using his strong arm to throw out runners at first base. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound sophomore can also throw a rather deceptive knuckle ball.
Despite not yet being 16, Allen has shown the potential to be a budding two-sport star like his older brother, Brandon Allen, who’s regarded as one of the state’s top quarterbacks entering the fall. The senior is also Fayetteville’s starting shortstop and ace pitcher.
“I try to not pay attention to that stuff,” Austin Allen said of the interest he’s already received from college coaches. “I just try and go play my own game. I mean, if they do notice me, that’s pretty cool.”
Allen, who turns 16 on Aug. 21, has had a busy summer spent going from 7-on-7 football tournaments to competing for Fayetteville at this week’s Premier Baseball National Sophomore Championship.
The sophomore is expected to back up his older brother at quarterback this upcoming season, and he showed in 7-on-7 games why some think he could someday be just as good. He completed 104 of 142 passes for 23 touchdowns to only three interceptions.
And while the University of Tulsa has already offered Allen a football scholarship, his future could be in baseball. He was good enough to start for the Bulldogs as a freshman and earn 7A-West All-Conference honors while getting work in the infield and outfield.
“The league will know about him this year, so he’s going to have to focus and hit pitches hard and punish the ball, which he’s very capable of doing,” Fayetteville coach Vance Arnold said of Allen. “And then we’re hoping he comes in just like Brandon and is a quality pitcher.”
Allen said he wants to work in the offseason on all aspects of baseball, though specifically he wants to improve his speed, throwing arm and hitting. But his potential was apparent early on this spring.
“He waited his turn. He didn’t come in as a freshman thinking anybody owed him the right to play,” Arnold said. “He practiced and did real well with the freshman group, sophomore group and just gradually climbed the ranks.”
Allen said he doesn’t have a preference when it comes to football or baseball, and instead he seems to want to play whichever sport is in season.
Still, Allen admitted he was surprised that he started for Fayetteville as a freshman, providing the Bulldogs with a consistent hitter as well as another strong infielder to complement his older brother.
“At first, it was a pretty big surprise for me just being able to go sit the bench for them,” said Allen, whose father is Arkansas defensive tackles coach Bobby Allen. “And then once I got to play, I wanted to stay there.
“It was a lot better than freshman baseball.”
And he didn’t play like a freshman, either.
PROFILE
Austin Allen
School: Fayetteville High
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195
Notable: Allen started for Fayetteville’s baseball team last season despite being a freshman at Fayetteville Woodland. He saw playing time at second base, shortstop and in the outfield. He was named to the 7A-West All-Conference team. ... His older brother is Fayetteville starting quarterback and shortstop/pitcher Brandon Allen. His father is Arkansas defensive tackles coach Bobby Allen.