As recently as this past December, it seemed unlikely that Kaytron Allen would be back for Penn State in 2025.
The common vibe amongst fans was that Allen would either declare for the Draft or enter the transfer portal.
How close Allen came to doing either of those things might not ever be known to the public but what’s clear is that he’s back in the saddle for his last season of eligibility.
Make no mistake, Penn State is happy to have “Fatman” back. He’s been a horse for the PSU offense over the past several seasons, and this year isn’t expected to be any different
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 217 pounds
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Before Penn State: Allen spent his freshman year at Norview High School in Virginia. He rushed for 1,465 yards and 16 touchdowns, earning Maxpreps Freshman All-American and All-Eastern District honors. Allen then transferred to IMG Academy to play his last three years. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards and matched his freshman year output of 16 touchdowns his first season at IMG. In his junior year, he rushed for 515 yards and nine touchdowns. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,400 yards and 27 touchdowns as IMG was ranked the No. 1 team in the country by USA Today. Allen was selected to play in 2022 Under Armor All-American Game. Allen was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, On3, 247Sport and ESPN. He was ranked the No 157 overall prospect, No. 11 overall running back and No. 19 player in Florida by 247Sports. ESPN rated him No. 147 overall and 11th among running backs, as well as No. 18 in Florida. Allen committed to Penn State July 16, 2021.
2022: Allen and classmate Nicholas Singleton became a formidable RB duo as true freshmen. Allen ended the season with 867 yards and 10 touchdowns on 167 carries and finished with more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage. He and Singleton became the first pair of Big Ten running backs to rush for more than 700 yards in a season.
2023: Allen and Singleton had almost the exact same amount of carries (Allen had one more at 172). Yet, Allen ended the season with 150 more rushing yards (902 to 752) and only two fewer touchdowns (8 to 6 in favor of Singleton. Singleton separated himself in the receiving game, ending the year with 308 yards compared to Allen’s 81. But from a pure running standpoint, it’s hard to argue Allen wasn’t the better back in 2023. Allen and Singleton shared team offensive player of the year honors as named by Penn State. Allen’s play earned him second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Last year: Allen had his best season yet, breaking 1,000 yards for the first time. He ended the season with 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging five yards per carry. Him and Singleton became the first teammates in PSU history to eclipse 1,000 yards in the same season. For a school that had Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell in the same backfield, that says a lot.
Where he stands: Allen has nothing to prove at this point. Everybody knows he’s good. Perhaps the biggest question is whether he’ll break the Penn State rushing record. He’s currently 1,156 yards away. Singleton is 1,021 yards away. Perhaps both will break Evan Royster’s mark.
A quote by Allen: “Man, I love football so much, man. It means so much to me. When I got in the end zone, man, I damn near wanted to cry, man. I ain’t going to lie to you.” — Allen after last year’s win over Illinois, via Daniel Gallen of Lions247.
A quote about Allen: “Fat has really improved,” Franklin said. “As you guys know, we’ve talked about, he’s never really had an offseason since he’s been here. He looks faster. He looks more explosive.” — James Franklin this spring
