Frmer Penn State running back Kaytron Allen was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins on Friday, giving the program’s all-time leading rusher a fresh chance after a brief and quiet start to his NFL career, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Allen, a Norfolk, Virginia, native who played at IMG Academy, spent four seasons in Happy Valley from 2022 through 2025.

He finished with 769 carries for 4,180 yards and 39 touchdowns, both the yardage and attempt totals school records, and ranked third in program history in rushing scores.

He also caught 70 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns.

Washington selected him in the sixth round, 187th overall, in the 2026 draft, then waived him Thursday after he appeared in four games and rushed 12 times for 41 yards.

At Penn State, Allen was never the flashiest piece of the offense. For most of his career he split carries with Nick Singleton, yet he topped 850 rushing yards in every season and closed with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns.

In 2025, he became the focal point under interim coach Terry Smith, rushing for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries, a 6.2-yard average.

He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media, second-team All-America recognition from the American Football Coaches Association, and third-team honors from the Associated Press.

The record book fell in November. On a short run against Nebraska, Allen passed Evan Royster’s mark of 3,932 career yards and moved ahead of Saquon Barkley as well.

He later became the first Nittany Lion, and the 23rd Big Ten player, to reach 4,000 rushing yards, then capped the regular season with a career-high 226 yards at Rutgers.

Over his final three games, he carried 72 times for 567 yards and five scores, winning a share of Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week three weeks in a row.

Miami’s claim is less a reward for the Washington tape than a bet on that body of work. De’Von Achane is out for the season with a torn ACL, leaving Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright as the established backs.

Allen arrives on the remainder of his rookie contract with a reputation built on vision, contact balance, and durability rather than long speed.

For Penn State fans, the move is a reminder of what he already proved in State College: when the carries came, the yards followed. Whether that production translates in South Florida is the next question. The record he left behind in University Park is not.