Week 2's Overnight Sensation: Cyrus Allen, Wide Receiver

Each Monday during the 2024 Texas A&M football season, we’ll identify a first or second-year Aggie player who delivered an exceptional performance over the weekend and earned the distinction of being the week’s “Overnight Sensation.”

On a day when the rushing game shined, Cyrus Allen led Texas A&M's charge through the air.

The first-year Aggie and third-year wideout posted 72 yards on five receptions with a long of 31 yards in Texas A&M's 52-10 win over McNeese State.

Texas A&M's nine straight scoring drives were powered by 333 yards on the ground, but Allen and the Aggie wideouts found their groove on Saturday.

The Louisiana Tech transfer's showing began on A&M’s second possession as Conner Weigman found #6 for a gain of 12.

A&M's next offensive drive was moved past midfield courtesy of Allen's seven-yard catch. A few plays later, Allen was targeted in the endzone, but a great play by Cowboy corner Yusef Leak prevented the wideout from scoring six.

Zoe Kelton, TexAgs

With 100 yards on the season, Cyrus Allen is currently Texas A&M’s leading receiver. He’s also the only Aggie to have over 40 yards receiving through two games.

As Weigman settled in the pocket in the first half, Allen hauled in two more receptions, pickups of nine and 13, which heavily contributed to A&M's offensive efficiency.

A&M's most explosive play so far this season, Allen reeled in a 31-yard catch-and-run to place the Aggies' on McNeese's 7-yard line, where Amari Daniels punched it in one play later. The grab from #6 made up a huge chunk of the 92-yard drive led by backup QB Marcel Reed.

Averaging 14.4 yards a catch, both signal callers looked to Allen as a reliable option, as he was the first target on two separate drives and was the first completion on three separate drives, all of which resulted in touchdowns.

Not only did four of five of Allen's catches move the chains, but he also showed his ability to beat his defender with 27 yards after the catch.

With the loss of Ainias Smith to the NFL and Evan Stewart to the transfer portal, Allen slid right in to fill a key role for the Aggies.

While at Louisiana Tech, Allen totaled 68 catches for 1,278 yards, averaging an impressive 18.8 yards a catch. Saturday's performance gave Aggie fans a glimpse of what to expect from the transfer this season.

Dependability downfield.

Allen's stats vs. McNeese 
Receptions: 5
Targets: 7
Yards: 72
Touchdowns: 0
Average yards per catch: 14.4

Allen’s 2024 stats
Receptions: 7
Targets: 12
Yards: 100
Touchdowns: 0
Average yards per catch: 14.2