Torrey Pines’ John Allred Says He Will Attend USC

Torrey Pines’ John Allred, who had two brothers attend USC and a sister who is there playing tennis, has decided to follow in their footsteps.

“I’ve always been a USC fan and I couldn’t get myself to turn from that,” Allred said after announcing he has accepted a football scholarship to USC.

Allred was the Palomar League’s defensive player of the year and The Times’ first-team tight end.

Allred, 6 feet 5 and 225 pounds, helped Torrey Pines win eight consecutive games this season and finish 9-3. He caught 23 of the 64 passes Torrey Pines quarterbacks completed. He scored one touchdown, and his receptions accounted for 347 yards.

As a linebacker, he anchored a defense that allowed 7.5 points per game.

Two weeks ago, Allred called a press conference to announce he had decided on UCLA. He woke up the next morning and delayed the announcement.

“I told (UCLA) I wanted to think about it some more and I think they were worried,” Allred said. “When I reversed my decision, they were gentlemen about it.”

Allred, who won’t be 18 until Sept. 9, said he probably will be a redshirt his freshman season if he has an option.