Utah State Guard Drake Allen To Return For Final Year

Apr 16, 2025, 7:49 PM | Updated: 7:54 pm

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 14: Drake Allen #8 of the Utah State Aggies follows through after taking a shot against the Colorado State Rams during the second half of a semifinal game of the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Rams defeated the Aggies 83-72. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

BY TANNER TRIPP

KSL Sports

LOGAN, Utah- Utah State continues to prepare for next season, but unlike many programs around the country, they are doing so by retaining important pieces of its roster as opposed to heavily shopping in the transfer portal.

Drake Allen becomes the third Aggie to officially announce his return to Utah State, alongside Mason Falslev and Karson Templin, making for some welcome continuity in Logan.

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Drake Allen At Utah State

Utah State was Drake Allen’s fourth stop in the state of Utah, with previous stints at Snow College, Southern Utah, and Utah Valley.

In his first season in Logan, Allen primarily came off the bench, leading the second unit as the point guard.

He averaged seven points and 3.8 assists per game, shooting 45.7%, but much of what Allen brought to the table last year can’t be shown on a stat sheet. Drake was a great facilitator of Jerrod Calhoun’s offense and had a great feel for the game in pressure moments. Allen was also a vocal leader and a veteran.

Allen’s best stretch in 2024-25 came between January 29 and February 16. During that frame, Drake hit double-digit scoring figures in five of six games and averaged 12 points and 4.3 assists. The streak was bookended by two standout performances. First, a 15-point outing against UNLV in which Allen went 3-3 from downtown, and last, a 13-point, 10-assist double-double despite a loss to New Mexico.

Drake Allen will now be returning to a program for the first time in his collegiate career and will be part of the leadership group under Jerrod Calhoun.

Why This Is Important For Utah State

Continuity from year to year has become a luxury in college athletics, something the Aggies know from experience over the last few years.

Over the last five seasons, Utah State has had four different head coaches in charge, and since new transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules were implemented, rosters have also looked extremely different from year to year.

With a new head coaching hire last season, the only three returners were Mason Falslev, Karson Templin, and Isaac Johnson, forcing the new coaching staff to field their roster primarily from the portal, bringing in seven transfers.

Now, after uncertainty following the season, Jerrod Calhoun, Mason Falslev, and Karson Templin, who all certainly had lucrative offers to jump ship and take their talents elsewhere, are staying at Utah State.

RELATED: Per Jon Rothstein, Jerrod Calhoun Finalizing Deal To Return as Head Coach Of Utah State

This rare stability in this day and age of college sports will give the Aggies the chance to truly build from last season to next. While the squad did lose pieces like Ian Martinez, Dexter Akanno, and Aubin Gateretse to graduation, only Isaac Johnson, Deyton Albury, Pavle Stosic, and Braden Housley have entered the transfer portal. With just four departing transfers so far and eight days remaining in the current portal window, the only Mountain West teams with fewer exits are San Diego State and Nevada.

This means that along with Falslev and Templin, players Tucker Anderson, Jordy Barnes, and Isaac Davis are all seemingly coming back in 2025-26, allowing the returning coaching staff to supplement the already strong roster with transfers as opposed to building a team entirely from the portal.

RELATED: Mason Falslev Confirms Return To Utah State For Junior Season

It has also become less common for top players for mid-major teams like Mason Falslev and Karson Templinto to turn down the chance to jump to a Power 5 program. This can be seen even just within the Mountain West Conference with Donovan Dent transferring from New Mexico to UCLA, Obi Agbim jumping from Wyoming to Baylor, Dedan Thomas Jr heading from UNLV to LSU, and so many more.

For Utah State, this much returning firepower to a team that already made the NCAA Tournament will mean high expectations heading into next season.

About Drake Allen

A Westlake High School standout, Allen played basketball and baseball for the Thunder. After graduating in 2020, Allen played two seasons with the Snow College Badgers in the Scenic West Athletic Conference of the junior college ranks. As a sophomore, Allen averaged 12.8 points and six assists while earning NJCAA Second Team All-America honors.

Allen spent 2022-23 at Southern Utah. The 6’4 playmaker averaged 11.0 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team as a sophomore.