Boston College Football 2014: Allen Dawson, CB

Boston College Eagles freshman Allen Dawson, a defensive back, has already arrived in Chestnut Hill and is ready to make an impact.

The February signee was one of seven early enrollees to come to the school in January in time for 2014 spring practice.

Allen Dawson is a South Florida native who, like several other of his new teammates on the Eagles, played his high school football in two locales. Through 2012, Dawson played at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale. While there as a senior, he was an all-conference player with three interceptions from the defensive backfield.

Later on, Dawson would continue his football playing career much further north in Connecticut. He did a postgraduate year at Cheshire Academy and things went even better for him: in his only season there (2013), Dawson was named an All-Colonial League player for his year which included five picks, 29 tackles, and a role in Cheshire’s league championship title.

Connecticut is Steve Addazio country, and Boston College locked in on Dawson, getting a verbal commitment from him in November. Two months later, he was at his new school as a college student and preparing for spring practice.

What does the immediate future (as in, the 2014 football season) hold for Allen Dawson?

Allen Dawson #24: Fast Facts

• Position: Defensive back
• Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• High School: Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale, FL and Cheshire Academy, Cheshire, CT
• Measurements: 6-foot-0, 187 lb.
• Class year at 2014 opener: Freshman
• BC games played: 0

Allen Dawson #24: 2013 Season (HS)

• Cumulative statistics: 29 tackles; 5 INT, 2 fumbles recovered, 9 passes defensed
• Appeared on Spring 2014 roster

Those interception totals over his last few seasons at high school are encouraging; it would appear Dawson has a nose for the football, but that “passes defensed” category shows it as well. From what we know of him, Allen Dawson seems to be a playmaker on defense.

With that said, does he play as a true freshman in 2014? It depends on just how much help the secondary needs. That Dawson got to Boston College early and was able to work with Don Brown and other position coaches during the spring semester is helpful. Furthermore, Dawson already did a postgraduate high school year before going to college; it is somewhat atypical to see a player do an extra year of high school and then get redshirted (see: Daniels, Steven).

My guess is Dawson does not redshirt, but his snaps will be limited (at least initially) as he learns the college game.

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