Allen attended and played football at Fond du Lac High School, where he reclassified and graduated a year early.[2][3] Allen wrestled his Freshmen year at Fond du Lac, where he qualified for the state tournament.
College career
Allen was rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports.com, and Rivals.com.[4][5][6] Allen committed to play football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on July 14, 2020, the college's first commit for the 2022 class.[7][8] On September 17, 2020, he announced he would be reclassifying to the 2021 recruiting class to enroll in college early.[9] He was initially recruited as a defensive player, possibly linebacker or safety, before ultimately ending up at running back.[7]
Allen played on special teams only for his first college game.[10] After the team started the season at 1–3, Allen began to see some snaps along with starting tailback Chez Mellusi.[10] Tailback redshirt freshman Jalen Berger left the team[10] and three running backs transferred away from the college.[11] Allen had his first 100-yard rushing performance in the fifth game against Illinois.[10] In early November, Mellusi had a season-ending injury as Allen was established as the team's starting running back.[10] In the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona State, Allen rushed for 159 yards and was named the Las Vegas Bowl MVP.[12] On November 28, 2023, Allen announced his intent to enter the 2024 NFL Draft.[13]
On April 27, 2024, Allen was selected in the fourth round with the 134th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by the New York Jets.[17] In Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, he scored one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown for his firsts as a professional.[18]
