Tennessee State defensive end Terrell Allen was named the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the best defensive player at the FCS level.
Allen had himself quite the season, leading FCS in sacks with 14.5, sack yardage (123), yards for loss (28), and overall tackle for loss yardage (149) , while also recording 65 total tackles, (44 solo, 21 assisted) forcing 5 fumbles and 10 quarterback hurries. In a four-game span earlier during the season, the Little Rock, AR native recorded 11.5 sacks, and 18.5 tackles for loss, ( getting at least 4.5 per game) including a TSU-record 6.5 against Lindenwood. In that same span, he was named Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Week 3 times. The 28.0 tackles for loss is a Tennessee State record.
The Austin Peay transfer ended his time at TSU with 101 total tackles ( 64 solos, 37 assisted), 40 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 3 passes defensed, and a fumble recovery.
Due to his on-field exploits, Allen was also Big South-OVC All-Defense First Team and Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Year. This marks the third time in four years a player from an HBCU has won the Buchanan Awrd, with Southern’s Jordan Lewis claiming it in 2020, and Florida A&M’s Isaiah Land in 2021.
