What's next for Penn State football's Kaytron Allen? 'I like making people fear me.'

STATE COLLEGE — Defenses are just beginning to experience the punishing proposition of attempting to tackle the new-and-improved Kaytron Allen.

His Penn State football teammates already know. They've been the experimental resistance as the sophomore has rebuilt his body, boosted his strength and relishing running through tackles maybe more than around them.

His best, he swears, is yet to come.

Which may still be one of the most overlooked facets of this expanding and growing Penn State offense.

Teammates joke, at least partly, about not wanting to tackle him in practice.

Defensive lineman Dvon Ellies describes the experience as getting run over by a car.

Safety Jaylen Reed said Allen "has that mentality that its him versus everybody else, and he’s trying to run through your face."

Allen backed this up against Delaware: He barreled through a Delaware defender on his way to a first-half touchdown. He then proceeded to blast the Blue Hens for 103 yards on 19 carries in barely more than a couple of quarters in the expected demolition.

Again, it was more how Allen went about his work than his final numbers in the 63-7 victory.

While problematic to tackle last year at 205 pounds, he's all but catapulting himself through the line of scrimmage now at 225.

While he and fellow starting tailback Nick Singleton have yet to break a field-stretching run through two games, they appear to be knocking holes in the wall.

After his day against Delaware, Allen relaxed behind a media room podium, smiling as he talked about his ever-intensifying running style.

"Angry," is how he described it.

“I still got a lot of things to prove to myself. I still got a lot of improvement to do," he said when asked to explain. "Everything, for real. Running the ball, catching the ball, everything.

"I like running people over. I like making people fear me, any time I can do that …," he said with another smile.

"I can tell. I can tell when they’re not trying to hit me any more."

Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton ready to break out?

Consider this as a marker: Allen almost always falls forward when being tackled, no matter the situation. He almost never gives ground.

Last year, he, stunningly, lost only 15 yards through 167 carries. This year, he's lost 1 yard on 29 attempts.

PSU double dose: How Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen will be even better for Penn State football in 2023

Which means it should be only a matter of time until he rips off a game-changing play like his 59-yard run last year against Maryland or a 45-yard catch-and-run at Indiana.

Same for Singleton, who nearly busted more big runs than anyone else in the Big Ten and beyond in 2022.

Neither has a rush for more than 17 yards yet in this young season.

“Were getting down and dirty, eventually one is going to pop out," Allen said. "We don’t really worry about that, just getting the first down."

Mostly, it comes to this: Both tailbacks are bigger, stronger and reportedly faster than a year ago. Both are football-wiser, as well.

Two Nittany Lions to watch: So what happened to Penn State football's Abdul Carter, Theo Johnson? Here's the deal ...

Allen, in particular, looks forward to testing his increasing physicality in Big Ten play.

That begins Saturday in Illinois.

But first, Singleton, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, offered about the best compliment possible:

"He sets a tone for everything," he said of Allen. "I feed off him. He makes me better. We make each other better."

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPennState.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football: Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton vs. Delaware