Should Dakota Allen sit the rest of the year to prepare for the draft?

Dakota Allen has been the leader of this team. He plays the middle linebacker spot and it shows when he is not on the field. He has not only been the leader of this team on the field but off the field as well, he is their emotional leader and the growth that he has experienced as a person over the years at Texas Tech will be something I personally carry with me for the rest of my life.

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That being said, Allen has recently incurred more than one injury, and one injury that could potentially become more severe if he re-injures it. He had broken his hand before last week’s game vs. Oklahoma and it didn’t really affect him in the beginning part of the game. Allen then came out of the game with a knee injury, something that can be tricky if he plays on it and gets more hurt, such as a torn ACL or something of that nature.

Allen, as of right now, has an excellent chance of being a top-4 round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He has the measurables and the heart to become a very successful NFL player in the future. NFL teams might not take a chance on him if he sustains a severe injury right before the end of his senior year. If they do, they definitely would draft him in a much later round, affecting how much he gets paid in his first years as an NFL player.

That begs the bigger question: Should Allen sit out the remainder of the season to get healthy and prepare for the NFL Draft? I honestly have no answer to this question, so I’m going to present both sides of the argument in hopes that we as a group can find a solution. Let’s start with the side that believes Allen should sit out the rest of the year.

Dakota Allen has a very good chance of being a solid NFL player, but that could be hampered if he has a severe injury at the end of his senior season. In most situations, I would say to just play the season out, but that doesn’t take into the account the players themselves and their current injury status or whether they need the money to survive. For players that are good NFL Draft prospects, some believe that they should sit out the end of their senior season so that they don’t get injured and affect their draft stock.

That side doesn’t take into account the work and emotion that the player has put into the team and the program. Tonight is senior night, and I believe that Allen will put all that he has into playing this game, as a thank you to the program that he has put so much effort into. If it was up to most players, I think they would opt to play in the final games of their senior season, due to the programs that they have put their young adult lives into.

On the other hand, it appears that Allen is hurt in more places than one, and for that reason, I hope that he doesn’t play if he’s in a position to make his injuries more severe. I know that this defense looks much different without him, but I believe he should worry about his future, and take a couple of weeks to get healthy. I do personally believe that even if he doesn’t play in this game, he will be back at some point this season to finish what he started with this team.

My question for you all is what do you think? Should Allen play or should he rest the remainder of the season to prepare for the NFL? Please vote in our poll below and comment your opinion as well!