Marcus Allen’s first NFL chapter closed almost as quickly as it opened. The former North Carolina cornerback was waived by the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday after the team earlier designated him injured during final roster cuts, via the NFL transaction log.
Allen signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in late April, days after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2, 197-pound defensive back from Marietta, Georgia, had spent four seasons in Chapel Hill and started every game as a senior in 2025.
That year, he finished with 36 tackles (29 solo), two tackles for loss, a half-sack, and a team-high eight pass breakups. His best outing came in the regular-season finale at NC State, where he posted seven tackles and a breakup.
Those numbers, plus a 39-inch vertical at the combine, were enough to earn him a three-year, $3.115 million undrafted deal with $65,000 guaranteed.
For Tar Heel fans who watched him grow from a four-star Walton High recruit into a 51-game veteran (39 starts) with three career interceptions and 22 pass breakups, the Vikings signing felt like a logical next step. He had played through the Mack Brown era and into Bill Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill, becoming a reliable piece in the secondary alongside fellow 2026 UDFA Thaddeus Dixon.
The preseason, however, did not go as planned. Minnesota waived Allen with an injury designation on Aug. 30 while trimming to 53 players. He reverted to injured reserve the next day.
An undisclosed injury limited his chance to show the length and ball skills that made him a four-year contributor at Kenan Stadium. On Wednesday, the Vikings completed the process by waiving him, opening the door for an injury settlement and free agency.
At 22, Allen still has time. Many undrafted corners bounce from one camp to another before landing a practice-squad or depth role.
His size, experience against ACC competition, and special-teams potential remain assets. For Carolina supporters, the story is familiar: a homegrown Tar Heel who put in the work in Chapel Hill, earned an NFL shot, and now has to find the next one.
Allen’s UNC résumé is solid even if the Vikings chapter was brief. He never missed much time in college, started every game as a senior, and led the team in pass breakups.
That body of work does not disappear because of one injury-shortened training camp.
The next team that signs him will get a player who already knows how to compete at a high level. Tar Heel Nation will be watching to see where he lands.
