Despite a rollercoaster of a season for Penn State, two of the Nittany Lions’ most consistent offensive anchors are finishing 2025 with some well-earned recognition on the national stage. Offensive lineman Vega Ioane and running back Kaytron Allen have both been named to the Associated Press All-America teams-Ioane earning second-team honors and Allen landing on the third team.
These accolades are just the latest in a growing list for both players, who were arguably the heart and soul of Penn State’s offense this year. Ioane, a redshirt junior, has been a rock on the offensive line all season long.
He started all 12 games at left guard, didn’t allow a single sack, and gave up just three quarterback pressures over 614 offensive snaps-good for the fourth-most on the team. That kind of pass protection and consistency in the trenches doesn’t go unnoticed, and it’s no surprise he’s racked up honors across the board.
In addition to the AP recognition, Ioane was also named second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, making him one of the few players to receive nods from multiple NCAA-recognized All-America outlets. The other three-AFCA, The Sporting News, and the FWAA-are expected to release their teams later this week.
Ioane’s postseason resume is stacked. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors from the AP, first-team honors from the conference’s media, and a second-team nod from Big Ten coaches.
He was also a first-team All-American selection by CBS Sports and On3, and a second-teamer for The Athletic and Sports Illustrated. On top of that, he was named one of ten finalists for the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.
Ioane announced on Friday that he’s declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft and will be skipping the upcoming Pinstripe Bowl, closing the book on an impressive college career that saw him appear in 44 games with 32 starts. Coming out of Graham-Kapowsin High School in Washington, Ioane was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He’s come a long way from that ranking, now heading to the next level with a résumé that speaks for itself.
As for Allen, the senior running back saved some of his best work for the final stretch of the season. With interim head coach Terry Smith putting the offense squarely on his shoulders, Allen responded with a dominant three-game run to close the year. He racked up 567 yards and five touchdowns on 72 carries-an eye-popping 7.9 yards per carry-earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors in each of those final three games.
He capped that run with a career-best 226 yards in a wild 40-36 win over Rutgers that secured bowl eligibility for the Nittany Lions. That performance was the exclamation point on a season where Allen totaled 1,303 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries, earning him first-team All-Big Ten honors from both the media and coaches.
Allen’s career numbers are nothing short of historic. He leaves the regular season as Penn State’s all-time leader in both carries (769) and rushing yards (4,180), while his 39 rushing touchdowns rank third in school history.
What makes that even more impressive is that he achieved all of it while sharing the backfield with Nick Singleton for four years. Allen is the first Nittany Lion to eclipse 4,000 career rushing yards and just the 23rd player in Big Ten history to do so.
A product of IMG Academy in Florida, Allen was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022 and ranked as one of the top running backs in the country. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, Allen has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl but has not yet announced whether he’ll suit up for Penn State one final time in the Pinstripe Bowl.
That bowl game, by the way, is set for Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium, where Penn State will take on Clemson. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on ABC.
Penn State may have finished the 2025 season at 6-6, but the individual efforts of players like Ioane and Allen remind us that even in a year filled with ups and downs, elite talent still shines through.