Running Back Kaytron Allen Returning to Penn State in 2025

Penn State's Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton have shared carries at running back for three seasons. On Monday, they shared announcements about doing it again in 2025. Moments after Singleton announced his intention to return to Penn State next season, Allen did the same, bringing back the Nittany Lions' 1,000-yard rushers for one more year. In his social media post, Allen said he had "unfinished business" with Penn State football.
"I have learned so much about football and life from being a part of this elite organization that coach [James] Franklin leads," Allen wrote on social media. "Going to work with [running backs] coach [Ja'Juan] Seider and the Lawnboyz every day is something I will cherish forever. Penn State has been an extraordinary experience for me. This has led to my decision to return for the 2025 season. Throughout my life, my family and support system has been critical in helping me in my football journey. Through discussions with them, my coaches and teammates, it's clear that we still have a lot more to accomplish as a team at Penn State."
Unfinished business.. pic.twitter.com/RseiuQTz54
— “Fatman”⚡️ (@kaytron_allen) January 13, 2025
Allen led Penn State in carries (220) and rushing yards (1,108) as he and Singleton became the first pair of Nittany Lions to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Allen was among Penn State's best players in the postseason, rushing for 410 yards and three touchdowns in four games. He was dominant against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, rushing for 134 yards on 17 attempts, and averaged 5.04 yards per carry on the season.
"He was on a mission," Seider said after the Fiesta Bowl. "They both were."
That Singleton and Allen will continue their position share for a fourth season is remarkable in the transfer portal era of college football. Both players have had offers from other programs, which Seider acknowledged before the 2024 season.
"It wasn’t easy, because we all know that people were calling these kids behind closed doors and trying to play one against the other," Seider said last summer. "But it says a lot about who they are as men and how loyal they are. ... I knew some things were going on. There's not a secret out there that I don't talk to those guys about, because they know I've got their best interests at heart. There's nobody who's going to fight for them more than I am. I'm going to take the heat for them."
This was the first season either running back topped 200 carries (Allen with 220), and it took 16 games to get there. Through their first three years together, neither back had finished a season with 175 carries. Allen's high was 172, Singleton's 171. But they maintained a belief in the position share as a way to keep them healthier for their college careers and beyond.
"They are going to leave here healthier than most guys that play that position," Seider said. "So I think that's important when you talk about getting those guys to the next level, because they're pros. They're going to be pros, so how can I get those guys to get not one contract but then the second contract? And they bought in."
Before the Fiesta Bowl, Matt Millen of the Big Ten Network said he believed both backs were "NFL-ready" right now.
"They do all the little things well," Millen said. "When I watch them, I like to watch them in protection. They're both excellent. The running skills are going to be the running skills, but they catch the ball well, they understand protections, and that is the whole next level. And when rookies come in [to the NFL], especially running backs if you have a rookie in there, you're usually not too thrilled about what they see and don't see in the passing game. And so I think both these guys, I think they see protection pretty darn well. So that's a big deal. They catch the ball well, they run the ball well, they have good vision. They have all the requisite skills to be able to play at the next level, which they're going to. They're both excellent players."
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