Coach | Ball Skills Set 2022 Notre Dame WR Target DJ Allen Apart

Jonny Louvier calls DJ Allen‍ “a phenomenal athlete.”

“He can really play all the positions,” the Gladewater High School head coach says of the 2022 Texas wide receiver. “He can play quarterback, receiver, defense, anything.”

The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder grew up playing quarterback, but has attracted a ton of college attention since making the move to receiver.

“His ball skills are really what kind of separates him from anybody I've ever coached as far as a receiver goes,” says Louvier. “He plays the ball in the air so well.”

Off the field, Louvier calls Allen “a really good kid.”

“Real quiet,” the coach continues. “Lifts, does everything you ask. Just a great kid, fun kid to be around and real fun to coach as well because he makes us look smart.”

Allen may still be learning all the intricacies of the position, but he’s already displayed enough to land scholarship offers from schools like Baylor, TCU, Houston, Arkansas, Michigan and USC.

“Just his film,” Louvier says on what has caught the attention of college scouts. “He just sticks out on film, making big plays is the big deal.”

Last month, Notre Dame added itself to the list and Louvier believes that offer caught Allen’s attention.

“Being in Texas, that's so far away, that's unique to get that kind of offer and just the history of Notre Dame,” the coach says.

“He doesn't really say much. He’s one of the most quiet kids I've ever been around, but you could tell when the Notre Dame coaches were contacting him, he was really interested in it. And then when the offer happened, he was very happy about it.”

Louvier is making sure his players understand this is a very unusual period for recruiting.

“Letting seniors come back, it's affecting scholarship numbers from Division III through Division I,” the coach says. “So, kids really need to take it serious earlier. When and if you feel like you found a fit, you need to commit to them because it's just a numbers game and there are less out there now.

“So, if you really feel fit, you need to go ahead and jump on it. Still take your time, make sure it's right, but you can't wait until the last minute and still expect an offer to be there.”

The transfer portal is also impacting the way each school allocates scholarships.

“That's a big deal too. Take an average school and they take five transfers, that's five less scholarships for high school seniors.”