The Washington Commanders added a new weapon to the backfield with Penn State running back Kaytron Allen. Here are five things to know about the former Nittany Lion.
1. Fatman.
Let's start with one of the first things Commanders fans probably learned about their new running back. He has a nickname -- Fatman -- that he's had his entire life, and he wears it with pride.
"That's my nickname my mom gave me," Allen said. "I was a fat baby and everybody in the town called me Fatman, and hopefully I keep it going in Washington. They call me Fatman, and when I score, all you hear is Fatman."
There's nothing flabby about Allen anymore, but he does play with a big, physical style at nearly six feet tall and 216 pounds. Pro Football Focus' Jordan Plocher described Allen as having "the low center of gravity" that teams want to put in their backfield. His size helped him endure the workload Penn State put on his shoulders, too, as he carried the ball a combined 792 times in four seasons.
Allen likely won't get the 210 attempts he had with the Nittany Lions in 2025, but assuming he wins a job, he could be a short-yardage option for the offense. And hopefully, Northwest Stadium will be filled with "Fatman" chants when Allen gets in the end zone.
2. He's difficult to bring down.
As alluded to above, Allen doesn't go down easily, thanks to his bigger frame. Assistant general manager Lance Newmark said Allen picks up the "dirty yards," and the Commanders drafted one of the best in that category.
Of the 13 running backs drafted last week, Allen ranked second with 57 missed tackles forced. What's more, he was one of the best at picking up yards after contact. He ranked second behind in the category behind only Jeremiyah Love amond drafted running backs and averaged 3.77 yards per attempt after contact.
The best part is that Allen knows how to take care of the ball through all that contact. Over the last two seasons, during which he had 430 carries, Allen only fumbled the ball twice. It's an area of Allen's skill set that he takes "great pride in."
"You got everybody's dreams and aspirations in your hands," Allen said. "So, I take great pride in it, and that's something I won't do. I take pride in not doing turnovers and stuff. That's not who I am. And [the] football, I take great care of because I love football and I don't want nobody else taking my dream aspiration in a way."
3. His patience normally pays off.
Allen was not viewed as a speedster during the draft process. He didn't record a 40 time at the combine, but anyone watching his film from the last four seasons would see that it isn't a big part of his skill set.
Instead, Allen is more of a patient runner, and more times than not, that patience tends to pay off for him.
Teams were certainly aware of Allen's style, as 27% of his carries -- the most in the class -- came against heavy boxes. However, he still managed to average 4.8 yards per carry in those situations, and only 11% of his runs failed to gain yardage. But there's more; Allen tied for seventh in his class last year with 30 runs of 10-plus yards. Georgia's Mike Washington Jr., who was drafted two rounds earlier, shared that number, and he did so with a 4.33 40 time.
And Allen has found ways to create explosive plays without possessing top-tier speed. He and Washington tied for fourth in the class in designed rushing attempts of 15-plus yards. Allen ranked second behind Love among drafted running backs in breakaway yards, and he picked up 70 first downs from rushing attempts -- the second-best in the class.
So, no, Allen doesn't fit the modern mold of a speedy running back, but he does find ways to put up similar numbers and even surpass them.
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) fights for yardage against Northwestern during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) warm up for an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates with teammate quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) fights for extra yards against Kent State during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) looks to elude Washington defensive lineman Jacob Bandes (55) during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) looks to elude Oregon linebacker Teitum Tuioti (44) on a run during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) scores a touchdown while being chased by Central Michigan defensive back Trey Jones (3) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs away from Michigan State defensive end Avery Dunn (98) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) breaks tackles on his way to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Massachusetts, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) in action during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Rutgers defensive lineman Wesley Bailey (23) tackles Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates after a touchdown with tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) gets past Purdue defensive tackle Mo Omonode (92) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates after a 1-yard touchdown run during the second half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Oregon, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Indiana defensive lineman Stephen Daley (8) tackles Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) during the 1st half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs against Nebraska during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State offensive lineman Juice Scruggs (70) celebrates a touchdown by running back Kaytron Allen during the second half in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game against Utah Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs near Mississippi safety Trey Washington (25) during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs in for a touchdown against Purdue during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) participates in senior day festivities before an NCAA college football game against Nebraska, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) fights for yardage against Northwestern during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen rushes before being stopped by Maryland defensive back Dante Trader Jr. during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs away from Nebraska defensive back Deshon Singleton (8) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) during an NCAA football game against the Purdue on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen drops a pass in the end zone as Illinois linebacker Seth Coleman defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs past Illinois defensive back Miles Scott (10) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) in action during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in College Park, Md. Penn State won 51-15. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs with the ball past the Rutgers defense during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Piscataway, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
4. A decorated Penn State career.
There has never been a more productive running back in Penn State's storied history than Allen, who left the program with 4,180 rushing yards on 769 attempts. He is the program's all-time leading rusher, passing Saquon Barkley and Evan Royster in a 37-10 win over Nebraska to claim the top spot.
But that's not all that Allen accomplished during his time at Penn State. He also ranked fifth in all-purpose yards, seventh in rushing yards per game and ninth in 100-yard rushing games. He recorded 39 rushing touchdowns in his career, putting him third behind Barkley (43) and his teammate, Nicholas Singleton (45).
So, Allen has plenty to offer to Washington's backfield, and he's bringing all of it to his new team.
"I put everything into a running back that you need," Allen said. "I feel like I do that well and it is going to be on full display and I'm ready to go right now, man. I'm ready to play right now. Put the rock in my hand."
5. A different kind of player in Washington's backfield.
The Commanders already had four running backs on their roster prior to drafting Allen. The list includes Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who led the team in rushing yards last year; Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford. However, all four of those players have similar skill sets, meaning they have speed and quickness and can present threats in the passing game.
Allen brings something different to the room, and that's what the Commanders are counting on.
"Really a cool kid that's just been really productive for a long time," Newmark said. "He's someone we really respect and just appreciate his game. He gives us something that's a little bit unique to our backfield."
With former Chris Rodriguez now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Commanders needed a player who can operate in short yardage situations. Allen can fill that role, but his patience and vision provide opportunities for more explosive plays -- something the Commanders could use more of in 2026. He still needs to earn a roster spot, but if he proves he can pick up third downs, he'll have a spot in the rotation.
"I feel like I'm going to be a great competitor like in the room, bring everybody along and just be ready to work."
