Former Lassiter High coach Jep Irwin recognizes that former Trojans star Derrik Allen’s one year at Notre Dame didn’t go as planned. But it didn’t change Irwin’s strong support and optimism for the remainder of Allen’s career. On Monday, Allen announced that he will transfer to Georgia Tech and play for coach Geoff Collins.
“I don’t know the circumstances that led to him deciding to leave ND but this is a tremendous coup for Coach Collins at GT,” Irwin wrote in a text message to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Derrik is a tremendous football talent and a high quality person. He is an excellent student and has always done things the right way on and off the field.”
“I don’t know Coach (Brian) Kelly or the (defensive coordinator) at ND but I do know Coach Collins at GT,” Irwin continued. “I will be very surprised if Derrik doesn’t thrive there and become an impact player once he is able to get on the field.”
Allen played at Lassiter for Irwin, who resigned in November after nine seasons and is now coaching at Whitley County High in Kentucky. At Lassiter, Allen developed into a prospect who was rated the No. 106 player in the country and the No. 14 player in the state of Georgia for the 2018 signing class. He also fielded scholarship offers from Clemson, Alabama and Georgia.
Should Allen follow the conventional transfer route, he will sit out the 2019 season and have three seasons of eligibility starting in 2020. In the event he pursues and obtains an immediate-eligibility waiver from the NCAA, he would be eligible to play this season and have four seasons of eligibility.
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