No way. I'd take AA over Theo every day.
Really? I'd be interested to know why.
They did have pretty similar careers and stats in college. Allen was a good kick returner his first two years, and then didn't have that responsibility as an upperclassman. Riddick broke the school record for return yardage as a freshman and then only took 10 kickoffs over his sophomore and junior seasons.
As pass catchers they are pretty even, but Riddick has to get an edge for playing receiver and having more versatility. Riddick had one more career catch but 430 more yards and 5 more touchdowns. Even when limited to a pass catcher out of the backfield Riddick was more of a down field threat while Allen was largely making a living off screen passes and dump offs. Some of that has to do with system, but when I think of some tough catches out of the backfield, Riddick has a lot more.
As a runner, I thought Allen was thoroughly mediocre his first 3 years, only improving stats as the offense became more efficient under Clausen. At the same time, it's tough to make a comparison with Riddick because he barely played as a freshman and then spent two years at receiver.
As seniors, there are a lot of similarities. Both ran with a new-found sense of strength and their production was pretty even. Of course Allen had his senior year cut short, but to me that points out why a lot of his career was one that never broke through.
Riddick in contrast, really broke through as a senior. I wouldn't say he was great per se, but he was a rock and I didn't see Allen playing like that even if he had stayed healthy in 2010. Just going off big career moments Riddick has several classics and Allen not so much. Again, some of that has to do with a better team and a brighter spotlight for Riddick but he still made those plays.
Riddick was more explosive, tougher, more touchdowns, bigger moments, and more versatile.