Former BYU walk-on running back Tyler Allgeier on cusp of NFL future

“It’s just crazy to really think about,” he told The Post in a phone interview. “It took a lot to get here.”

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Allgeier was a star running back at Kaiser High School in Fontana, Calif., an hour east of Los Angeles. He was the school’s all-time leading rusher with 5,086 yards in his three seasons as a starter and scored 29 touchdowns as a senior. But his recruiting was nonexistent. His lone offer came from the Division II level, and Southern Nazarene of Oklahoma was only offering him half of a scholarship. Schools felt he was too stiff and too slow.

“It lit a fire in me,” he said.

Allgeier, 21, gambled on himself, believing he could play at the highest level, and his work ethic and determination would win over the Cougars’ coaches. He redshirted his first year and moved over to linebacker the following season in addition to playing special teams because he was too valuable of an athlete to keep on the bench, head coach Kalani Sitake said. Due to injuries, he got his shot on offense in the Hawaii Bowl at the end of that year, and showed his promise, rushing for 77 yards.

The financial component, however, was getting challenging. Tuition at BYU for students who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is twice the cost. Allgeier took a job at Walmart and worked camps to make extra money. Prior to the next season, he considered transferring.

It was becoming too much to juggle school, football and work. At that point, BYU couldn’t lose him, and Sitake told him he was at the top of the list to gain a scholarship. Eventually it happened, a smart move by Sitake in hindsight.

“In 2019 he was the leading tackler on the team in the [Boise State] game and in 2020 he was the leading rusher in that game the next year,” Sitake said. “You talk about a guy that’s versatile? There’s a lot of running backs that claim to be versatile, that can run routes and do all these other things. But how many of them can go out there and play linebacker and have linebacker film? He’s one of the few that can do that. The guy’s going to be a special teams phenom [in the NFL].”

Allgeier took off his last two years at BYU, running for 2,736 yards. As a junior, he broke out playing alongside current Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. And this past season, despite Wilson’s departure, he produced even more, a program-record 1,606 yards, 23 touchdowns and a 5.8 yards-per-carry average. Against top competition he shined, running for 111 yards and two scores against USC, 266 yards and five scores against Virginia, and 102 yards against in-state rival Utah. Sitake said one NFL scout compared him to Cardinals running back James Conner. Allgeier likes to watch Browns running back Nick Chubb. He won’t shy away from contact.

“It’s just that mindset you’ve got to have for sure: You have to hit them before you get hit,” he said. “It will automatically produce positive yards.”

Now, a few weeks out from realizing a lifelong dream, Allgeier just wants a shot. He doesn’t care who gives it to him or when it happens. In a way, he will be starting over again, much like at BYU. He will be behind more experienced players, prospects drafted ahead of him. It won’t bother him. He’s been there before.

“It will be excitement, joy, humble beginnings and all that,” Allgeier said. “It will be a stress reliever, knowing where I’m going and then putting my head down and getting to work.

“Playing with the best against the best, it’s a crazy feeling.”