Long before they put on NFL uniforms to play in the Super Bowl, Dre Greenlaw and Brandon Allen were walking the halls of Fayetteville High School, preparing to decide where they were going to play college football.
Both Greenlaw and Allen chose to stay home and play for the Razorbacks, and have since gone on to spend five and eight seasons in the NFL, respectively.
Allen spent 2011 to 2015 with the Razorbacks before being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 201st pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He bounced around the league, playing for the Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals before joining the 49ers in 2023.
Greenlaw has spent all five of his NFL seasons with the 49ers after being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s been a mainstay for the 49ers defense, and has recorded a total of 446 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions in his five seasons with the team.
Sunday’s Super Bowl is actually the second one both players have been to, with Greenlaw appearing in 2020 and 2024 with the 49ers, and Allen appearing in 2022 (Cincinnati Bengals) and 2024. Neither have won, though.
Before the big game, let’s take a look back at how Greenlaw and Allen were viewed as high school prospects.
Brandon Allen
Coming out of Fayetteville High School, Brandon Allen was a 5.8 four-star recruit and the No. 180 player in the 2011 class according to Rivals. He was the No. 1 player in the state and No. 5 pro-style quarterback in the class.
Allen committed to the Hogs early, joining the class on Jan. 13, 2010, a full year before he signed on Jan. 14, 2011. According to Rivals, Arkansas was his only scholarship offer. He had interest from Baylor, LSU and UCLA, but none pulled the trigger and extended an offer.
He was recruited to Arkansas by then-running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Tim Horton, as well as offensive coordinator Garrick McGee.
While with the Razorbacks, Allen threw for 7,463 yards and 64 touchdown passes, making 38 career starts including 34 straight, which according to his Arkansas bio is the longest streak for an Arkansas quarterback since joining the SEC in 1992.
The Razorbacks run in the family for the Allens, as Brandon’s father, Bobby, currently serves as the director of high school and NFL relations. Brandon’s brother, Austin, took the reins of the Arkansas offense after he left, and was the starting quarterback from 2016 to 2018.
Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw had a longer offer sheet than Allen did, but was rated lower, as a 5.7 three-star in the class of 2015. Georgia, Oklahoma State, Memphis and others joining in his recruitment.
Arkansas State was also somewhat of a player in his recruitment, mainly because of Brian Early, who was the defensive line coach for the Red Wolves at the time.
Greenlaw grew up in group homes until Early — who was the defensive coordinator at Fayetteville High School — invited him to live with his family. He was formally adopted by the Early family at age 21.
“I probably wouldn’t be playing football without him,” Greenlaw told reporters last week of Early’s impact on his life. “Just being in the group home at the time and them just stopping their lives to pull me into it. It’s been huge.”
The Fayetteville native was ranked the No. 6 player in the state and No. 35 safety in the class of 2015, according to Rivals.
He was recruited to Arkansas by then-tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr., who later served as the interim head coach in 2019 after the firing of Chad Morris. Greenlaw committed on Oct. 24, 2014, and later signed with the Razorbacks in Feb. 2015.
During his time at Arkansas, Greenlaw totaled 321 tackles, four forced fumbles, three interceptions and four sacks.
