Penn State fans got a jolt Thursday when a familiar name surfaced on an NFL transaction report: Kaytron Allen has been waived by the Washington Commanders in the middle of his rookie season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the move Thursday afternoon, cutting short what had been a promising start to Allen’s first pro year. The news landed with extra sting because Allen is hardly some ordinary former Nittany Lion. He left Penn State as the program’s all-time leading rusher, and he did it while sharing the backfield with Nicholas Singleton.
Allen’s final college season made the case for why that label fits. In 2025, he posted the best statistical year of his career, finishing with 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
And when Penn State’s season drifted off course after opening with national title expectations, Allen didn’t fade with it. He kept building, topping 100 yards in each of the final six games.
That production helped get him to Washington as a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. He survived training camp, made the roster, and played in each of the Commanders’ first four games. Over that stretch, he totaled 41 yards on 12 carries.
Allen is only 23, which leaves plenty of runway ahead of him, and there’s a good chance his name comes back into the conversation later this season.
For Penn State, the timing of the news only adds to the frustration around a team that could use his kind of punch right now. The Nittany Lions are 3-2 after dropping their first two Big Ten games. The offense hasn’t found its footing on the ground or through the air, averaging just 2.2 yards per carry against Northwestern and struggling to throw the ball through two conference games.
Penn State’s annual White Out Game is set for this weekend against USC, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 on NBC.
In Other News...
Michigan State Fans Had One Breaking Point With Officials Vs Illinois
Michigan States frustration with the officials reached a boiling point late in the game against Illinois, when freshman receiver Samson Gash appeared to come up with an onside kick recovery only for the play to be wiped away by an offsides call. The ruling set off a strong reaction from coach Pat Fitzgerald, who made his feelings clear on the sideline as the Spartans felt another key moment had gone against them.
The controversy only added to an already tense finish, and it loomed large when Michigan State later went to overtime. The Spartans had a chance to extend the game further, but a failed two-point conversion ended the night and left fans stewing over the sequence that helped turn the game in Illinois favor. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Fitzgerald Furious After Call Defined Michigan States Loss
Michigan States special-teams gamble briefly looked like the kind of momentum swing that can turn a tight college football game on its head. The Spartans appeared to recover an onside kick against Illinois, only for the play to be wiped away because of an offside penalty on freshman wide receiver Samson Gash, leaving the officials to sort through an extended review before upholding the flag and sending Michigan State back to re-kick.
For Pat Fitzgerald, the sequence became more than a lost chance. The head coach made it clear he disagreed with how the ruling was handled, and he intends to take his concerns to Big Ten officiating leadership. For a team already trying to find any edge in a close game, it was the kind of call that can linger long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States Overtime Collapse Exposed A Bigger Problem
Michigan States rally against Illinois had all the markings of a program trying to fight its way through a difficult stretch. Alessio Milivojevic settled in after a slow start and finished with 196 yards and two touchdowns, and the Spartans showed real grit by erasing a late deficit and forcing overtime after tying the game at 31-31.
But the 38-37 loss also put a harsher spotlight on a defense that never got comfortable. Michigan State did not record a sack or much meaningful pressure, and when the game came down to a pivotal two-point try, the Spartans could not finish the comeback. The effort was there, and the response mattered, but the broader issue is still hanging over this team. [Read more 🡒]