On those Saturdays when Army steps up in competition to play schools from the Big Ten, ACC and Notre Dame, Noah Allen's preparation for elite athletes had begun in high school.

Allen is a 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive tackle from Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton, who announced Sunday a commitment to Army. At Milton, he's been practicing daily at a school that headlines Carl Lawson, a Rivals 5-star prospect rated the No. 1 defensive end in the nation and No. 2 player overall by Rivals. In addition, two 3-star offensive linemen have committed to Wake Forest.
 
"Those guys really improved my skills going against Division I athletes every day," Allen said. "They're huge. I also do a lot of work with Lawson and his trainer, who only trains defensive linemen."

Lawson is a 6-2, 253-pounder who committed to Auburn in March. He is still listed as a Auburn commitment by Rivals, but Allen said he de-committed after Auburn coach Gene Chizik was fired.

"I'm trying to get him to go to Army," he said with a laugh.

The two offensive linemen are Josh Harris (6-4, 299) and Cory Helms (6-4, 288).

With that kind of talent, Allen was strictly a defensive player. He played linebacker as a junior and was moved to defensive tackle and defensive end as a senior.

Allen said he was waiting for word from Florida Atlantic and had been hearing from Fordham and Furman before he decided to commit ahead of his Jan. 4 official visit to West Point. He's confident he has the ability to play Football Bowl Subdivision football.

"I think I have a great first step and I can get off the ball," he said. "I'm not the tallest guy, but I'm one of the quickest and I use my speed. I know I'll get bigger and stronger."

Defensive line, of course, has been an Army recruiting focus the past three classes with the Black Knights forced to play under-sized lineups the past two seasons. Allen first started hearing from Army in October.

"It's a great school and a Division I program," Allen said. "I like the facilities, it's a great program and coach (Clarence) Holmes explained it well. It's a chance to serve my country. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

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