Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 6 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State locked down its second elite running back prospect in less than two weeks when Kaytron Allen of IMG Academy in Florida committed to the Nittany Lions on July 16, following Nick Singleton's lead. A native of Norfolk, Va., Allen had earned an offer from the Lions back in September 2019. A year later, with the coaches permitted to initiate contact, Penn State began to build a solid foun- dation with Allen. The 5 - fo o t -1 1 , 2 1 5 - p o u n d prospect developed an especially strong bond with running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. "Me and Coach Seider have a great relationship," Allen said. "We've been talking since day one, and he's always been consis- tent with me. … Coach Se- ider is a great person, and I like the way he teaches his running backs and the way they use their running backs. That all stands out to me." Allen locked in his official visit to Penn State early in May, but he didn't announce publicly that he would be visiting until shortly before his trip. At the time, it was believed that he would likely play his col- lege football in the South. But almost im- mediately after his official visit, which took place June 4-6, sources close to the program began raving about Allen. Some even suggested that the Lions had made more progress with him that week than with any other player on campus. In the weeks that followed, Allen visited Florida (June 14-16) and Georgia (June 18- 20), and he squeezed in a trip to Michigan State that final weekend before the dead period began at the end of the month. The Gators were believed to be the top competitors that Penn State beat to earn Allen's pledge. "What I like about Allen is that he be- came the go-to back for IMG as a junior and took full advantage of the opportu- nity," said Adam Gorney, national recruit- ing director for Rivals.com. "He's big and thick but is surprisingly adept at making quick cuts in the hole, finding a lane and then gaining big yards. "I don't think he has that breakaway speed to run away from everybody in the Big Ten, but he has excellent vision and a tremendous feel for when to be patient and then when to break out and get going down the field." With Allen and Single- ton in the fold, Penn State is done at running back for the 2022 class. Both players are members of the Rivals250, with Allen sitting at No. 118 overall and Singleton just a few spots behind him at No. 124 overall. "It's going to be very interesting," Gorney said of that backfield duo. "Where Allen can live between the tackles and gain big yards that way, Singleton has the speed to get outside and race down the sidelines. In his high school's offense, there are some option looks that could be implemented for Singleton, who has tremendous balance and is very tough to bring down. He's always falling forward, doesn't dance too much to escape the tackle, and he provides a very nice coun- terpunch to Allen, who will do most of his work between the tackles." Before transferring to IMG Academy in 2019, Allen put up impressive numbers at Norview High in Norfolk, totaling 1,465 yards rushing on 179 carries (8.2 yards per carry) and scoring 16 touchdowns. Upon his arrival at IMG, Allen split car- ries with current Georgia running back Lovasea Carroll. Allen totaled more than twice as many carries as Carroll in 2019, rushing 135 times for 1,097 yards (8.1 YPC) and 16 touchdowns. In only seven games last year, he had 68 carries for 515 yards (7.6 YPC) and nine scores. ■ Penn State added to an already talented backfield when it received Kaytron Allen's com- mitment. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound runner joins fellow four-star prospect Nick Singleton in the Class of 2022, and both are top-10 players at their position this year. Here's a look at what Allen will bring to the position at Penn State. STRENGTHS Thickness: There is thick, and then there's Kaytron Allen. Allen runs on a pair of tree trunks and is already a collegiate tailback as far as his physical build is concerned. Tacklers bounce off his lower body, and he's able to churn his feet even when defenders have a grasp on his legs. Creativity: Allen follows his blocks but also knows how to use defenders' momentum to his advantage. He can cut in the hole and find another opening with loose, mobile hips and a bouncy step. The defender either grasps at air or is taken to the ground by Allen's blocker. Allen's abilities go beyond just vision and pa- tience. It's a skill. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Speed: It's the one glaring weakness in Al- len's game. He lacks the explosive, breakaway movement skills that most teams are looking for in a lead tailback. Yet he's not slow, so the biggest fear should not be that he can't hit home runs. The fear should be that his other skills don't translate the way that they should. PROJECTION Power back: There is a bounce in Allen's game that can make him more than just a bruising power back. His running style is reminiscent of the Buffalo Bills' Zack Moss or Marshawn Lynch. Like those backs, his best skill is simply running through tackles like a machine. He is a great candidate to play early in his career at Penn State. Third-down back: Blocking schemes and assignments get incredibly complex in college, but Allen has the positional fundamentals down. As long as he can adjust to the complexity of blitz schemes, he should be a reliable pass protector and checkdown option on third down. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N IMG Star Is Another Big Addition To PSU Backfield RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M In two seasons at IMG Academy, includ- ing only seven games in 2020, Allen has rushed for 25 touchdowns with an aver- age of 7.9 yards per carry. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM COMMITMENT PROFILE KAYTRON ALLEN