2011’s 10 Most Important Purdue Football Players: #7

The Boiling Point: Purdue’s Ricardo Allen checks in at No. 7 of TheBoilingPoint.com’s list of most important football players for the upcoming season.

No. 7 RICARDO ALLEN
Year: Sophomore
Position: Cornerback
Number: 21
Key stat: He led the team with three interceptions, including two returned for scores as a freshman.
Analysis: A lot of times some of the team’s best players are the most important, too. That’s the case with Allen. He’s by far the team’s best corner and HAS to be a rock for the secondary to help the defense make strides. The adjustment for Allen is that he’s no longer an unknown commodity. As a freshman last season, he was given the opportunity to surprise people, and to his credit, he did just that. He earned second team freshman all-American status on his way to anchoring the secondary.

Now, with a lot of question marks at defensive end and linebacker, the spotlight is going to be on Allen to make game-changing plays consistently. And even when the ball isn’t being thrown his way because big-time players find ways to contribute.

This is part of a daily series that will continue with No. 6 on Monday. Again, these are the most IMPORTANT players for this upcoming season, not necessarily best. Make sure to check back to follow the list. Also, do you agree or disagree? Let us hear your thoughts.

Complete list
No. 10 Carson Wiggs
No. 9 Akeem Shavers
No. 8 Dwayne Beckford
No. 7 Ricardo Allen