Allen DB Elijah Smith Denied Varsity Eligibility Appeal

Allen will be without defensive back Elijah Smith after the UIL State Executive Committee denied his appeal for varsity eligibility Wednesday.

The decision upheld the district executive committee’s previous ruling that Smith transferred to Allen for athletic purposes.

Smith’s parents argued the move was unrelated to football, saying the family considered several areas before choosing Allen and had not previously been familiar with the school. The UIL ultimately left the original ruling in place.

Smith arrived in Texas after previous eligibility issues in California and Arizona. He holds scholarship offers from programs including Baylor and Kansas State.

Allen has remained strong defensively without him, allowing 17.3 points per game while carrying a 25-game regular-season winning streak into its matchup with Princeton.