Film Evaluation: Breaking down new commit Kaytron Allen
The Penn State Nittany Lions added to an already talented backfield this week with the addition of four-star tailback Kaytron Allen from IMG Academy in Florida.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound runner joins fellow four-star Nick Singleton in the Class of 2022, and both are top-10 players at their position this year.
What skills does Allen bring with him to the Nittany Lions? Why did running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider pair these two in the same class?
Let’s try to find out by looking at Allen’s film from this past year.
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 by his physical build. 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 shows a certain brilliance with not only following his blocks, but knowing how to create the most out of a defenders’ momentum. He can cut in the hole and bounce to another with loose, mobile hips and a bouncy step. The defender either grasps at air or is taken to the ground by his blocker that is able to seize on the change in momentum. Allen’s abilities go beyond just vision and patience. It’s a skill.
Polish: Allen knows when to bounce runs, when to cutback and when to lower his head for the final push. He is a good pass protector for a high school running back and he shows acceptable hands as a pass catcher. He’s about as high-floor and college ready as you can ask for.
Related: 10 things to know - Penn State lands four-star RB Kaytron Allen
Areas of Development:
Speed: It’s the one glaring weakness in Allen’s game that is apparent as soon as you turn on the film. 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 though. The fear should be that his other skills don’t translate the way that they should. If he’s not efficient as a runner, and struggles when he’s not given highways to run on like he is at IMG, his effectiveness will diminish.
Hands: This is nit-picking at an extreme level but Allen’s such a polished prospect that we’ll allow it. He’s more of a basket-catcher out of the backfield than a player that reaches out and snatches the ball in flight. He doesn’t fight the ball though and seems to secure each pass easily. This is a minor detail that he can improve.
Projection:
Power Back: There is a bounce in Allen’s game that can make him more than just a simple, bruising power back. His running style is reminiscent of Zach Moss, or a Marshawn Lynch, at times. Yet like those backs, his best skill is simply running through tackles like a machine. He shows a unique brilliance in getting extra yards so being a reliable change-of-pace and goal-line runner shouldn’t be a problem for him. The ceiling of his talent may be clearly defined, but his role, usage and production can be invaluable. He is a great candidate to play early in his career at Penn State.
Third-Down Back: Blocking schemes and assignments get incredibly more complex in college, but Allen has the positional fundamentals down, along with the right mentality and confidence. As long as he can adjust to the complexity of blitz schemes from defensive coordinators, he should be a reliable pass protector and reliable checkdown option on third down.
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