Rutgers Signs Drake Linebacker Sean Allison After Woodley Hire

Rutgers has signed Drake transfer linebacker Sean Allison, the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Year who racked up a team-leading 126 tackles in 2025 and will arrive after the spring semester with one year of eligibility remaining. Brian Dohn reported, “Sean Allison is signing with Rutgers and will compete for immediate playing time with the Scarlet Knights, sources said,” framing the move as an immediate-impact addition to a defense in flux.

Allison’s portal entry was enabled by a staff move: his former Drake head coach Joe Woodley was hired by Rutgers, creating a transfer window for players from Woodley’s Bulldogs roster. As 247Sports put it, “Allison was able to enter the transfer portal outside of the normal January window because his head coach, Joe Woodley, left earlier this month and was hired by the Scarlet Knights.” Woodley joins a Rutgers defensive staff that also added former Drake defensive coordinator Adam Cox as safeties coach, a pattern that has already prompted at least one other player to follow a coach to Piscataway.

Rutgers is treating Allison as part of a broader defensive overhaul: Dohn notes Allison is the 15th transfer the Scarlet Knights signed this cycle and the second linebacker addition, joining Rice transfer Ty Morris. On3 places Allison into a linebacker room that includes returning veterans Moses Walker and Abram Wright, and rising sophomores DJ McClary and Kamar Archie, describing the unit as “a linebacker room mixed with experience and young talent” that now features two incoming transfers.

Allison’s résumé is heavy on production and recognition. Knight Report and Onthebanks list him at 6-foot, 235 pounds, a Hinsdale, Illinois, native who signed with Drake in the 2022 recruiting class and redshirted as a true freshman. Brian Dohn breaks down his on-field progression: 12 games and 58 tackles in 2023, then a critical role in 2024 with 12 starts, 105 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, culminating in the big 2025 season. Multiple outlets report 126 tackles in 2025, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups, though SI’s social post lists 120 tackles alongside 8 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 picks and 3 PBUs; both figures are being widely circulated.

Awards and third-party evaluations are robust: Allison was named Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Year, was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist among 30 nominees, earned third-team All-American honors from Stats Perform and FCS Football Central, and ranked as the third-best linebacker in the Pioneer Football League by Pro Football Focus, according to On3. Onthebanks adds that Allison produced eight games with double-digit tackles during his 2025 season.

Beyond immediate depth, the signing underscores a business and talent pipeline dynamic: Rutgers is leveraging staff hires to expedite roster upgrades from the FCS, converting coaching relationships into player movement. SI commented on that dynamic and on Woodley’s influence, writing, “Rutgers hopes Allison can make an immediate impact on the program. The linebacker has one year of eligibility remaining. Any player who plays under Coach Woodley will find success. Woodley has a way of bringing out the best in his players. Some coaches have that magic touch.”

Allison’s arrival after spring allows Rutgers to integrate a high-volume tackler into spring practice cycles and summer preparation. If he replicates even a portion of his two consecutive 100-plus tackle seasons against Big Ten competition, Allison will not only compete for playing time in 2026 but also validate Rutgers’ aggressive defensive-staff-driven approach to roster building.