Crimson Tide, Clemson, Oregon are Allen's Finalists

Keenan Allen, perhaps the best football-playing senior athlete in North Carolina, has narrowed his college choices to Alabama, Clemson and Oregon, his father said an hour ago.

Allen, a safety/wide receiver/quarterback at Northern Guilford High, is the No.2-ranked athlete on The Observer’s NC Top 25.

“One minute it’s Alabama, the next minute Clemson, then it’s Oregon,” said Allen’s dad, Scott Lang. “He hasn’t really lined up any visits. We’ll definitely go to Alabama, and Clemson isn’t far away. And maybe we’ll get out to Oregon.”

Northern Guilford is off to a 5-1 start, and recently the coaches shifted Allen to quarterback.

“Schools were using three guys to cover him at receiver,” Lang said. “So they put in the Wildcat alignment and began using Keenan there. Last week, he threw two touchdown passes.

“At safety, he must have 100 tackles already,” Lang said.

So, any timetable for a college decision?

“It’s getting close but there’s nothing finalized,” Lang said. “Remember how we were when we were seniors in high school? It’s tough to make up your mind.

"And these recruiters are relentless.”

--Stan Olson