Josh Allen has always had the reputation of being a gunslinger, dating back to his college days at Firebaugh High School, to junior college, to the Wyoming Cowboys, and then to the Buffalo Bills. How did he get this moniker, and what were Allen’s college stats?
Josh Allen’s Gunslinger Mentality
As a quarterback at Firebaugh High School in California, Allen’s talent was obvious, but he could have been a more polished signal-caller.
He threw for over 5,200 yards on just 327 completions, with a completion percentage of just over 54%, adding 604 rushing yards and 63 touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
After receiving no major college offers, Allen enrolled at Reedley Junior College, where a relative was the head coach. He again struggled with accuracy, completing a conference-low 49% of his passes in his lone season with the program.
247Sports ranked him the fifth-best JUCO quarterback, and he enrolled at Wyoming in 2015.
At Wyoming, Allen continued his weird career trajectory — sitting in 2015 before leading the country in big-time throws and finishing fifth in interceptions in 2016. That was when his Howitzer of an arm began to turn the heads of pro scouts.
He did, after all, finish with 3,202 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Allen’s final year in Laramie raised more questions than answers. The Wyoming QB finished the year averaging under 200 passing yards a game, throwing for just 1,812 yards and 16 touchdowns in an 11-game season.
He did end the year on an eight-touchdown streak over the final four games, but it was obvious his potential and not his production would determine his draft position.\
From Wyoming to Buffalo, Josh Allen’s Development
Allen is perhaps the single most polarizing draft prospect of the last 10 years. His traits were undeniable, as there aren’t many — if any — quarterbacks in NFL history with his combination of size, running ability, and arm talent.
Still, any team willing to use a first-round pick on a guy with just 5,000 yards and 21 interceptions at Wyoming was sure to be questioned by some. Multiple pundits, like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., were huge fans, dismissing some of Allen’s polarizing play as a product of his environment.
“When you look at who finished the strongest of the Top 3 quarterbacks, he (Josh Allen) did,” Kiper said after mocking Allen first overall. “And you could say he had this shoulder injury, but he came back from the shoulder against Central Michigan in the bowl, and he lit it up, made NFL throws, showed tremendous competitiveness.”
“Remember at the beginning of the year they (Wyoming) were missing key starters at running back, wide receiver, tight end and center,” Kiper continued his analysis on the Cowboys gunslinger. “That is why he had some struggles at Iowa starting out the season.”
Conversely, analysts like Lance Zierlein compared Allen to Jake Locker, Paxton Lynch, and other toolsy prospects who flamed out in the NFL.
Through a year and a half with the Bills, the latter seemed correct. As a rookie, Allen started 12 games, throwing for just over 150 yards a game and a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio. Through five games in year two, Allen led the NFL in interceptions (7) with just over 1,100 yards and only five touchdowns.
But then something changed. In the last 12 games, Allen put up 21 total touchdowns and just two picks, finishing with a completion percentage over 58% for the first full season of his career — including high school, junior college, and college.
In the four years since then, Allen’s lowest completion percentage came in 2022 at 62.5 percent. He’s thrown for 154 touchdowns and over 19,000 yards, adding 2,790 rushing yards and 28 scores on the ground. His turnover numbers are still high, but that’s something fans and coaches alike have learned to deal with.
Simply put, Allen is at his best as a gunslinger. He’s a modern-day Brett Favre with better legs and a stronger arm.
MORE: Wyoming Coach Craig Bohl Leaving Laramie With Long-Lasting Legacy
Buffalo hasn’t yet gotten over the hump, but with Allen, the Bills will always be in the running for an elusive Super Bowl win.
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!