Allen Still on Board with Crimson Tide

Stone Bridge High School defensive lineman Jonathan Allen does not have much free time these days. The five-star player and verbal Alabama commit from Ashburn, Va., wrapped up his senior football campaign earlier this month with an appearance in the Virginia AAA Division 5 football championship.

The 6-foot-3, 263-pound senior also doubles as a forward on Stone Bridge's basketball team. Allen quickly transitioned from the gridiron to the hardwood and played in his team's most recent game on Dec. 17.

With the holidays just around the corner, Allen found a little time to reflect on Alabama's football season and his future with the team.

"I'm excited," Allen said via phone. "After that Texas A&M loss, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it. Having Oregon and Kansas State lose really helped. I'm just really proud and excited to be a part of this and to be able to watch Alabama play in the national championship for the second year in a row."

Allen did not have too shabby of a season either.

The Washington Post recently named him 2012's All-Met Defensive Player of the Year after the senior tallied 119 tackles, eight sacks and six fumble recoveries. Allen's play helped Stone Bridge reach its second state championship in three years.

While Allen's commitment to Alabama remains firm, where defensive coordinator Kirby Smart intends to stick the pesky pass rusher is less clear. However, Allen believes the Alabama coaching staff will likely play him at "Jack" backer, the position former Alabama standout Courtney Upshaw also played.

"Right now they're thinking about me playing the 'Jack' position," said Allen, who spoke with Alabama head coach Nick Saban last week. "That's the position I've known about the whole time. They said that if my weight continues to increase, they might have to move me around to 'Mike' or middle 'backer, but they're not sure just yet."

Allen verbally committed to Alabama in May and chose the Crimson Tide over a number of Southeastern Conference and national powerhouse programs.

Although he will not officially arrive in Tuscaloosa until 2013, Allen said he is excited to be an unofficial member of the Alabama football family and he looks forward to watching his future team play in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7 against Notre Dame.

"It really is an honor to know that I'm going to be a part of one of the best teams in the nation," Allen said. "While it definitely is an honor, it's also motivation to work even harder since I'll be competing with some of the best athletes in the nation. I'm excited and glad with my decision."

TideSports.com: Recruiting chat transcript