Penn State Football: Ranking the 10 best players on the 2023 roster

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 01: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions leads the team onto the field before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium on October 1, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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PISCATAWAY, NJ – NOVEMBER 19: Running back Kaytron Allen #13 of the Penn State Nittany Lions. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

5. RB Kaytron Allen

Penn State struggled to run the ball in 2021, that was not the case in 2022.

Part of the reason why the Nittany Lions’ run game improved so much was because of Kaytron Allen.

The freshman running back stepped right into the fire and ended up leading the team with 167 rush attempts. Allen racked up 867 yards and 10 touchdowns on those 167 attempts.

His powerful run style made him hard to bring down and he received the bulk of the carries late in games as Penn State tried to milk the clock.

In addition to being a great runner, Allen also showed his skills in the passing game as well. He caught 20 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown, in addition to being arguably Penn State’s best running back when it came to pass protection.

Allen already has the skillset on an NFL level running back, and he was just a true freshman in 2022. Look for him to continue his early success in 2023.

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