Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
3 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S eventeen Penn State players re- ceived All-Big Ten recognition when the conference announced its honors in early December. Two of those players — senior running back Kaytron Allen and redshirt junior guard Olai- vavega Ioane — were saluted as first- team honorees. Allen was a unanimous pick, while Ioane received first-team plaudits from the media and a second- team nod from the coaches. Penn State didn't bring home any Player of the Year awards following the 2025 season, a contrast from last year when Tyler Warren was named the league's top tight end and edge rusher Abdul Carter was Defensive Player of the Year. Allen had been in contention for the Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year award, but that honor went instead to Nebraska's Emmett Johnson. Johnson outrushed Allen during the regular sea- son, totaling 1,451 yards to Allen's 1,303. On a per-game basis, Johnson averaged 120.9 yards, while Allen posted a 108.6- yard mark. However, the Penn State se- nior bested his Cornhusker counterpart in yards per carry by a margin of 6.2 to 5.8. Allen also rushed for 15 touchdowns to Johnson's 12, and he did it while split- ting carries with fellow senior Nicholas Singleton, an honorable mention All- Big Ten choice by the media. If Allen had won the Running Back of the Year award, he would have become the second Nittany Lion to be so hon- ored. Saquon Barkley won the award in 2016 and '17 after rushing for 1,496 and 1,271 yards, respectively. The league has been handing out the Running Back of the Year award since 2011. It's unclear whether Allen plans to play in Penn State's Pinstripe Bowl matchup against Clemson Dec. 27. If he opts out of the game, he will leave with 4,180 yards on 769 attempts, both PSU career records. He is only the 23rd player in Big Ten history to surpass 4,000 rushing yards in his career. After breaking Evan Royster's Penn State career rushing record with a 160- yard performance against Nebraska on Nov. 22, Allen said, "I'm still just try- ing to wrap my head around it, and I've just been trying to take it one game at a time." He said that although the 2025 cam- paign didn't go as Penn State had hoped, with the Lions sitting at 6-6 heading into the postseason, he was grateful for the opportunity to set a major record and to do so while playing alongside Singleton all four years of his career. "It just means a lot," Allen said. "He's my brother, and we're just tight. We're always talking to each other, off the field and on the field. He's helped me grow, and I hope I've helped him grow on the field and outside the field." Meanwhile, Ioane proved he was worthy of first-team All-Big Ten hon- Kaytron Allen, Olaivavega Ioane Receive First-Team All-Big Ten Honors G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Allen was a unanimous first-team all-conference choice after ranking second among Big Ten running backs with 1,303 yards during the regular season. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS