Penn State RB Kaytron Allen's 2024 Campaign | STATE of STATE

hey it's state of State we got your NY line update it's a football discussion with Tom and Justin so kick back and press play with former Penn State and NFL defensive back Justin King I'm Tom hanifan this is state of State this podcast is presented by bet online bet online is the world's most trusted betting platform and your number one source for everything online sports betting right now you can receive a 50% free BET of up to $250 on your first deposit to bet on anything from the Olympics to baseball to Formula 1 racing bet online is every stat every matchup and even live odds and spreads while the games are being played when the game's over head to the online casino and get in on a game of blackjack or poker or unwind with one of over 150 slots games head to betonline.ag today to get in on the action use the promo code believe that's b l e a v for your 50% Free Bet credit on your first deposit up to $250 state of state is presented by bet online the game starts here state of state is a proud supporter of blue white Outfitters blue white Outfitters was created as a retail shop meant to highlight the confidence competitiveness and fearlessness of the elite athletes found throughout the history of Penn State University check out their lock down you and Lawn boys merchandise today all sales from Blue blue white Outfitters directly benefit Penn State student athletes visit www.bl white outfitters.com today hi everyone and welcome to state of state I'm Tom hannahan he's Justin King today we are talking specifically about Penn State running back KRON Allen and if 2024 is indeed a statement year for number 13 the offense under Andy C Nikki is expected to see a lot more of an emphasis on the running game not we weren't expecting that from Nick Singleton and KRON Allen but is KRON Allen a sleeper are people sleeping on KRON Allen we're going to dive into that here in just a second like comment subscribe rate US turn on notifications and comment on YouTube and social media at stateof State pod we appreciate it so much before we talk about KRON I do want to bring up a recent comment from pit head coach Pat Nardi this got a little buzz on social media yesterday Pat Nardi was speaking to the media was talking about rivalry games obviously pit West Virginia is a storied rivalry it's been renewed as of late the comment that Pat Nardi had is that quote we'd love to play Penn State if Penn State would play us so kind of a backhanded insult there saying that Penn State not electing to play pit there was a recent game between pit and Penn State series of games a few years ago and uh just kind of as Pat ardy kind of being Pat oroy Pit has been on a steep decline over the last last handful of years I imagine he's on the hot seat there for the pit Panthers did you give this any mind Justin like I I personally think pit Penn State yeah it'd be cool if that was a regular rivalry game but you do have to ask yourself like what is Penn State going to get out of that yeah I don't need the punch down I mean it is what it is kind of what they say all the time right so I mean I mean they would probably love to have a a game I understand the Rivalry and the benefits to pit and somewhat Penn State but it's old news this new age of uh college football who's moving who's moving units is somebody trying to watch this besides pit fans we win how does it implement or impact our chances of getting into the playoffs if we lose how does it impact it where can we get the most bang for our buck to play in the national championship with money and pit is probably on the bottom tiar of where that kind of fits into the process and like you said them being where he's at on this contract I mean it's kind of same old same old where they fit with the pit in Penn State so it's just kind of a another thing I just thought it was funny because he's talking to the media about the value his players have experienced by losing rivalry games it's like boy you're really trying to spin that aren't you just trying to put a wig on a pig so to speak Penn State only has three non-conference games games this year and with the expansion of the Big 10 uh I wouldn't be shocked if that number decreased over the years not immediately but you're playing a home and home right now against West Virginia you just did a home and home against Auburn so there was value there a Temple is coming up in the next handful of year Syracuse which has beefed up in recent years and really looks like they're trying to make some moves in the ACC it's like great there's value there Temple is in state you know history there Penn State has had the uh the bulk of that history has gone their way so it's like yeah what are you going to get out of pit right now so I I think there is that Nostalgia value to it but like in 2024 what are you really going to get not much you a little inate made little whippi old rivalry I guess of players that are local but I I don't know there's not much I don't know it's a mute point to be honest with you and it's not like I don't really have any I don't have any feelings or thoughts about it no it's and it's like if Penn State needed advertising help in Pittsburgh I'd be stunned right not hard uh let's get to KRON Allen recently he was speaking with blue white Illustrated and he had a very interesting quote because I completely disagree with KRON and for good reasons his quote was 2024 quote this is my statement year I feel like a lot of people are sleeping on me I got something to prove this year it's going to be a fun year it's so funny that that's the way he feels that people are sleeping on him because I feel the exact opposite after last season it felt like the Penn State fan base was much more excited about the potential and the ability of KRON Allen than Nick Singleton I get that Singleton gets probably more headlines more attention more Buzz because of his topend potential how highly recruited he was his star rating all those things coming into Penn State had a great freshman year it's not that KRON had a bad freshman year Kron a very good freshman year had a very good sophomore year and is incrementally built I just find it interesting to think that he feels people are sleeping on him because I almost feel bad to be like man the fan base is definitely not sleeping on you what do you think about what he said I think that's just some uh you know remnants of him coming out as a recruit and coming in with uh Nick Singleton Nick Singleton was the number one player Gat Ray player of the year and he's probably felt that a lot coming in I mean I can recognize that I was a pretty high recruit but when me and Derek came in it was always like you know it was Derek it was Derek even though I was like a top 15 player it was still like the one and then like regardless if the second person is good you have to kind of stand on your own but like you probably get tired of like hey man people aren't seeing me asking about Nick Singleton whether it's on the NCAA football commercial like and the great ones put a little chip on her shoulder from somewhere but I'm not um not surprised that he feels that way because is more I think he appeals to more of a serious football fan on the way that he runs because like most casuals are looking for Nick Singleton like the the signal and the logo of the top guy the big time runs and all those different things so yeah I'm not surprised he feels that way that's a good thing I think going into his J year to have a chip on his shoulder and ready to run even harder than he Day last year I absolutely think it's a good thing I love that he's considering this as a statement year I just kind of want to give him a big hug and be like buddy nobody's sleeping on you that's a Penn State fan if anything I'm curious to see who performs better in 2024 as I mentioned Andy C Nikki's talked about a larger emphasis on the running game and you and I have discussed it at length on this show is just like okay well what is that going to look like if it's interior Zone run that's more KRON Allen's thing if you're trying to bounce things outside run counter you're trying to run out of the shotgun or the pistol and you're trying to bounce things outside trying to get a guy in space that's probably going to be Nick Singleton you have options there you have other options in the running back room all together with Cam Wallace and also Quinton Martin Jr so it's like how deep into that depth chart do you go does that eat into the carries for Nick does that eat into the carries for KRON there's a lot of questions a lot of things we're not going to really comprehend until things get underway in September but KRON to me had that incremental progress from year one to year two I expect him to build on that and I would say that he's been just steady and consistent and I think yes the flash the the sexiness of basically what Nick Singleton accomplished his freshman year being able to take the ball 80 yards to the house yeah that's going to get people's attention and you and I have discussed it before I believe it was your direct comparison is that you see his running style as very similar to what Frank Gore did for a number of years very long time in the National Football League so when a football fan hears Frank Gore they're like oh okay let's that's good that's productive that's consistent but it's like if you had said like Adrien Peterson be like oh yeah that's that's what I wanted to hear that's what lights me up so uh it's it's interesting and I I also think it's great that he puts that on himself that he thinks people are sleeping on him or even if that's something from the coaching staff around him Jaan cider does a great job with his tailbacks motivating them getting them you know whatever that bulletin board material is that you need to take a step awesome but I don't know I I it's hard to say going into this year Justin Nick or KRON who's going to have the better season because we just don't know what this offense is really GNA be in the rushing attack just be patient and wait and see what happens because I mean they had they had success last year and I think like the I mean comes down to the jimmies and Joe's and I think if they're put in the right positions they they will succeed but um coming out with some type of you know again chiping you had a nice season last year and again like the video game is a big thing that's been coming up and you know other running backs been getting a lot more attention when it comes to that so he might be having his own little thing on his uh on his shoulders but I think that's a great thing like you said moving forward like these guys have something to prove they understand that eyes are on them and now it's just a matter of executing I mean Camp is a couple weeks away do you think KRON Allen could be a Heisman hopeful um I mean anything's possible but based on what I mean I don't I mean he's splitting time in the in a running back room with a quarterback that's pretty highly touted depending on how how it goes through uh I think that would be premature to say unless he's just a offensive weapon out there that can be up for the hman but I don't necessarily know what would cause us to think that yeah it's if it weren't him and Nick I'd be like yeah if it was just KRON for instance be like yeah might have a chance if he's going to be the focal point of the rushing attack well that goes back to what you said from their running Styles or saying Adrien Peterson or anything like that you think about that Heisman moment like you think about all the big plays that Heisman Trophy winners have won I thought they're the fastest players but the best players have some explosive plays to show or to capture the casual fan and say hey that's the guy that we're gonna watch and that would be probably against a KRON Allen because some of his best plays are football traditionalist of plays right where it's a nice 15 yard run or if he has a nice 30 yard run where he's breaking plays and doing things of that nature because he hasn't shown the ability to break a 80 yard run or do something of that nature where I think a running back needs to do to win the Heisman Trophy I mean that's a it's a hard position to run it's a hard position to win that uh trophy in unless you're extremely Dynamic you do need that signature moment and to kron's credit he is capable of ripping off the 50 yard long something like that I believe he's done that in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns and also another element to this is that I'm very curious to see this season how much the Running Backs play a part in the passing game is that more Nick is that more KRON is that cam is that Quinton is it do you skip over KRON and you just use those other three because KRON has not necessarily been terribly involved in the passing game it's been a little bit more Nick in that respect so how much does cotal Nikki really mix things up and the thing I come back to when you and I have discussed this is that personally I don't know how you feel I feel more confident about the interior of the offensive line guard spots in the center position than I do about the tackle spots because those two tackle spots are kind kind of open competition and we're going to learn more once we get into August about who's going to be the guy or guys is it going to be a rotation at tackle who knows I will tell camps up coming up so so ladies and gentlemen we will have more information so speaking of that like we're talking about KRON and Nick and the running backs all together in Camp and you know this from having been on the the staff side of things and having been a player how much can you really observe your running backs in August if the emphasis that you're expecting in season is going to be running the football um you can do a pretty good job at it when you have depth and Walk-Ons because you may just understand guys getting rest I mean I've seen it with saquon where they preserved him pretty well when he was going to carry the load returning kicks and all that good stuff and you have some high rep situations where you throw them in there but pretty much take care of those guys it's something you can do it seems a little bit more easily in the spring because it's it's the installation period it's not necessarily battling for jobs uh you can understand how the guys deeper on the depth chart for running back are going to be trying to push KRON and Nick for carries like we talked about but it's pretty well understood it's like yeah it's Nick and KRON one a one B so to speak whatever order you decide to put them in in in the running back room they're all together it's just a matter of staying healthy and that's something that KRON has had his bumps and bruises here and there missed a little bit of time here and there but altogether has stayed healthy and been consistent as this season looks in your opinion I don't know do you who do you think has the bigger year Nick or KRON I mean the bigger year had to based on what right uh I mean more production because let's call it that more production more production I mean kron's been he has a a stable game like again when things aren't there that he can show up but when you talk about Nick Singleton on the other end it's just a higher sailing of a big play opportunity um who's more productive within this offense I think you'll see more of Nick Singleton Premier in the sense of getting in space and things of that nature so I would probably Lane towards Nick I do like that KRON is referring to this as a statement year because you do have to consider in 2025 looking in the backfield specifically do you lose Drew Aller Nick Singleton and KRON Allen to the NFL draft in 2025 all three who knows uh and if any of them Aller and Nick may be going out in 2025 then it's like hm well say KRON stays in 25 and he's guy that's an interesting scenario for KRON altogether because then you can really put together a resume not that he hasn't already but you can really be like here's an example of me being the guy the Showcase guy within the offense and you know they're starting and ending things with me but there there's so much time and so many things that can play out between now and then I I'd find it I'd be very surprised if all three went out in 2025 I think it behooves most of them to be back in 2025 at Penn State to give this a go I know there's a lot of Buzz around hour and Singleton allog together but still I I see value in them coming back and you've talked about it a lot the longer you can stay in college at this point with nil the way it is take your money get your experience get your tape there's no need to rush for most position outside of running backs right because the way your Cliff falls off of getting some money so if you can get some money as a running back you got to go get it and that's that could be in the transfer portal that could be going to the NFL so with that being said I got to keep it real on that part but if been stat will to kick up some cash yeah for sure stick around how do you think how do you think kron's game translates to the NFL I think it translates very well I mean it's a short area back that has good balance nice burst good Vision all those different things if he want to say he lacks home run ability I mean like you said he can make a 30 40 yard run I know he got chased down by a defensive tackle last year which wasn't like the the best moment but was that that Michigan D tackle number 78 that I forget his name he was one of the biggest human beings I ever seen move at that SI that speed it's crazy yeah it's F but NFL is about finding hard yard and I think he does a great job of consistently doing that in college and there's big humans like that that can run that fast 100% well I mean and it's just the big play potential is just limited in the NFL anyway so it's like the guy that can get a six-yard carry consistently is more valuable than the guy that might have the Home Run ability one out of every 80 touches and I mentioned earlier cam Wallace and and qu Martin Jr you've spoken very highly about those guys Quinton specifically how much of those guys do you hope or expect to see this year whether it's on offense or even just in special teams we hope to see them in both I think a lot of guys make their first imprint on the game or for the fans on special teams and so I mean you like to see them on special teams from a kickoff return standpoint and hopefully get a opportunity to jump in on offense it actually makes me Ponder this and I I can't remember remember necessarily during the Spring maybe it was Kaden Saunders who was back there returning punts and and kicks I think there was a variety of different guys in that um in that position group all together because we were so spoiled last season by dayquon Hardy being this um I'll call it a pleasant surprise because For the Longest Time what you and I had talked about I was like man I was like it' be great if they got some more production and a kickoff and punt return and then all of a sudden dayquon pops up and has that awesome game against UMass and everybody's like why isn't he playing receiver and it's like all right everybody calm calm down now relax relax right it's just amazing how all of a sudden it's like one little Flash and it was like open up the Waterworks let's go crazy with this and it's like no everybody's got their role to play and it does it does feel like Penn State has the athletes in a variety of different positions when you're looking at kickoff return punt return you're thinking about running backs wide receivers Corners safeties uh you know you have all these different opportunities for guys that can get in there Penn State has athletes at a lot of different positions and there's going to be a chance for those guys to contribute I don't necessarily expect to see KRON there Nick has been there for a while now at least on kickoff return it seems like they kick away from him more often than not just out of uh just out of caution kind of like when saquin was returning kicks but I I am interested to see who takes up that Manel on kickoff and punt return this year because that's something that seemed like progress was made last year not entirely because of dayquon but just some progress was made you have an exposive player I mean that's an easy way to give him some touches I mean that would be a nice way to get a freshman like quit martinon in there to get in the open space to see if you can go plus one on some on some margins from just field position standpoint and also giv him some touches when the offense might be limited so You' like to see him back there and especially when you talk about those margins of Victory potentially thinking about games like Ohio state Washington USC contributions on special teams are going to be extremely important and can be the Difference Maker in games like that where it is so narrow potentially very very competitive that's where we're going to see a real difference but I'm very curious to hear what all of you guys think KRON Allen believes this is a statement year he believes he's being slept on I think he is not being slept on by the Penn State fan base I think we have a lot of love and appreciation for what number 13 is capable of tell us what you think get in the comments section on YouTube and on social media at state of State pod like comment subscribe rate US and turn on notifications who do you think's going to have the bigger year running the football for Penn State let us know thank you all so much for joining us this episode and our entire library of shows is available now on YouTube Apple podcast Spotify Google podcast and wherever else you get your podcast also let us know what you think of the show on social media and check out all of our content on X Instagram and Tik Tok search for the 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