CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Career: Became the sixth Nittany Lion to reach the 300-tackle mark in a career...Finished his career ranked No. 5 on Penn State's career tackles chart with 321 stops...Owned nine career double-digit tackle games (two in 2014, two in 2015, three in 2016, two in 2017)...Blocked the field goal attempt vs. Ohio State (10/22/16), which was picked up and returned for a touchdown by Grant Haley, the first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in Penn State history.
2017 • SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Earned Defensive Most Valuable Player at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl...Selected a third-team All-America defensive back by Phil Steele...Named honorable-mention All-America at safety by SB Nation...Earned first-team All-Big Ten from the coaches and second team laurels from the media...Garnered first-team All-Big Ten from the Associated Press and Phil Steele...Earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades from Pro Football Focus...Garnered second-team All-ECAC honors at defensive back...Named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, along with teammate Grant Haley...Selected as a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, along with teammate Jason Cabinda...Earned the Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week on Sept. 12 after piling up 13 tackles vs. Pittsburgh...Named to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award weekly honor roll on Sept. 13 for his efforts vs. Pittsburgh...Earned Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following his effort vs. Indiana (9/30)...Selected to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Nagurski Trophy...Selected preseason first-team All-American by Sporting News...Earned preseason third-team All-America honors from Athlon Sports and Pro Football Focus...Earned the Captain's Award and was named Penn State's Most Valuable Defensive Player at the annual team banquet...Selected to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl.
Season: Started all 13 games...Selected team captain prior to the season...One of 21 Penn Staters to enter the Fiesta Bowl having already earned a degree.
Akron (9/2): Totaled three tackles, all in the first half...Combined with Christian Campbell on a first-quarter tackle for loss...Notched one pass breakup...Part of a defense that logged 14.0 tackles for loss, the most since recording 15.0 vs. Temple in 2015...One of eight players to be a part of three-straight seasons with a shutout (Illinois, 2015; at Rutgers, 2016; Akron, 2017), marking the longest such streak since a three-year span from 1989-91...Part of a defense that logged a season-opening shutout for the first time since 2007 (FIU, 59-0). Pittsburgh (9/9): Owned a game-high 13 stops, including 10 solo...Logged a fourth-quarter tackle for loss, taking down Pittsburgh running back Darrin Hall for a safety, the first Penn State safety since 2010 (Devon Still, vs. Minnesota)...Added one pass breakup...Selected as the coaching staff's Co-Defensive Player of the Week with Grant Haley. Georgia State (9/16): Grabbed the first interception of his career in the second quarter and returned it 50 yards...Added three tackles, all coming in the first half...A part of a unit that posted its second shutout of the season, marking the first time since 2009 a Nittany Lion defense posted two shutouts in a single season...Helped Penn State force five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries), the first time since forcing five turnovers last season at Indiana (five fumble recoveries)...Part of a secondary that nabbed three interceptions in a game for the first time since doing so at Maryland in 2015...Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week. at Iowa (9/23): Forced an Iowa fumble - recovered by Grant Haley - by knocking the ball loose near midfield, which led to a Saquon Barkley 8-yard touchdown run...Notched five tackles...Totaled a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss, including Penn State's lone sack - a fourth-quarter takedown of Nate Stanley...Added a second-quarter solo TFL to bring up a third-and-long and eventually force an Iowa punt. Indiana (9/30): Tallied six tackles...Combined with Jason Cabinda on a second-quarter tackle for loss...Forced a fumble in the third quarter, which was recovered by Parker Cothren, and led to a Penn State touchdown...Added one pass breakup. at Northwestern (10/7): Made five stops. Michigan (10/21): Logged six stops...Added one quarterback hurry...Part of a defense that held the Wolverines scoreless over the final 40:03 of the game. at Ohio State (10/28): Boasted a game-high 10 tackles, including nine solo stops. at Michigan State (11/4): Totaled five tackles. Rutgers (11/11): Posted three stops...Part of a defense that allowed just 43 passing yards, the fewest in a game since giving up 32 vs. Army (2015)...The 43 passing yards are the fewest allowed by Penn State in Big Ten play...Held Rutgers to just seven pass completions, the second-fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions in a Big Ten game. Nebraska (11/18): Logged two tackles. at Maryland (11/25): Totaled four tackles, including three solo stops...Part of a defense that held the Terps scoreless in the first half, marking the seventh time in 2017 the Nittany Lion defense held an opponent scoreless in at least one half. vs. Washington (12/30): Made a team-high-tying seven tackles, including six solo.
2016 • JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Selected All-Big Ten third team by the conference coaches...Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from the media panel...Named to Phil Steele and Athlon Sports All-Big Ten third team...Selected Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 3 for his 22-tackle effort vs. Minnesota on Oct. 1...Earned Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 3 for his efforts vs. the Golden Gophers...Earned Co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his blocked field goal attempt vs. No. 2 Ohio State (10/22), sharing with teammate Grant Haley.
Season: Started all 14 games...Posted three games with 10-plus tackles...Made a career-high 110 tackles...Is the first safety to lead the team in tackles since Shawn Mayer (144) in 2002...Tallied the most tackles by a Penn State safety in a season since Mayer's 2002 effort and are the second-most by a Nittany Lion safety since at least 1969...His 22 tackles vs. Minnesota were the most by a Penn State player since Paul Posluszny made 22 stops at Northwestern in 2005...The 22 stops are tied with Posluszny and Ron Crosby (vs. Ohio, 1974) for No. 4 on the Penn State single-game tackles list...His 22 tackles are the most by a Big Ten player since Wisconsin’s Mike Taylor had 22 stops at Ohio State on Oct. 29, 2011.
Final Rankings: No. 16 in the Big Ten with 7.9 tackles per game...No. 3 in the Big Ten and tied for No. 30 in the FBS with two fumble recoveries...The 22-tackle effort vs. Minnesota (10/1) ranked No. 3 on the FBS single-game list in 2016 (24 - Obi Melifonwu, UConn & Rodney Butler, NMSU).
Kent State (9/3): Logged five stops...Forced and recovered a fumble at the Kent State 20 in the second quarter that led to a Saquon Barkley touchdown to give Penn State the lead for good. at Pitt (9/10): Netted eight stops - including four solo...Made a fourth-quarter tackle for loss. Temple (9/17): Recorded eight tackles with six solo stops...Had 1.0 tackle for loss. at Michigan (9/24): Made seven tackles...Had two pass breakups. Minnesota (10/1): Became the second FBS player to record 20-plus tackles, making a career-high 22 stops...Eight of his 22 tackles were solo stops...Made one tackle for loss, a third-quarter stop behind the line of scrimmage to force a punt that eventually led to a Trace McSorley rushing touchdown...Was the coaching staff’s Defensive Player of the Week. Maryland (10/8): Totaled seven tackles...Made a solo tackle for loss on fourth-and-2 late in the third quarter to end a Maryland scoring threat...A part of a defense that allowed 11 first downs...Helped limit Maryland to 14 points - all in the first half - 170 rushing yards and 270 yards of total offense, after the Terps entered averaging 43.2 points, 300.0 rushing and 466.2 yards of total offense per game. Ohio State (10/22): Posted six tackles...Blocked his first career kick on a 45-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, which was returned 60 yards by Grant Haley for the game-winning touchdown...It was Penn State’s first blocked field goal since Kyle Baublitz blocked a field goal try in the four-overtime victory against Michigan in the 2013 Penn State White Out game...The block was one of two blocked kicks in the game (Cam Brown - punt) and helped Penn State block two kicks in a game for the first time since blocking two against FIU in the 2007 season opener (FG & punt)...Helped the defense hold Ohio State scoreless in two quarters for the first time since Michigan State in 2015, which was Ohio State’s last loss. at Purdue (10/29): Made six tackles - five solo...Helped the defense hold Purdue to just 46 yards rushing, the second opponent held under 50 yards rushing in 2016. Iowa (11/5): Made three tackles...Helped the defense hold Iowa to just 30 yards rushing, which was 137.9 yards below the Hawkeyes’ season average (167.9 ypg) entering the game...It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by Penn State since holding Massachusetts to three yards in 2014...It marked the first time Penn State held consecutive opponents to 50 yards rushing or fewer since 2007 (Notre Dame, zero yards; FIU, minus-3 yards)...It was the first time since Penn State joined the Big Ten that it held consecutive conference opponents to 50 yards or less of rushing. at Indiana (11/12): Boasted a game-high 10 stops - including five solo...Tied his career high with 1.5 tackles for loss...Recovered his second fumble of the season near the end of the first quarter...Was a part of a defense that forced a season-high five turnovers, the most since forcing five against Maryland in 2015...Penn State’s five fumble recoveries were its most since recovering five versus FIU in 2007...Helped the Nittany Lion defense generate nine tackles for loss, marking the seventh time in 2016 the unit posted at least 9.0 TFL in a game. at Rutgers (11/19): Made one tackle...Helped hold Rutgers to just 87 yards of total offense, the fewest given up by Penn State in its Big Ten history and the fewest since 2006 vs. Temple (74)...The five first downs allowed are the fewest in B1G play in Penn State history and fewest since 2006 vs. Temple (2). Michigan State (11/26): Posted seven stops...Combined with Brandon Bell on a first-quarter tackle for loss...Broke up a pass late in the third quarter. vs. Wisconsin (12/3): Logged 11 tackles - six solo. vs. USC (1/2): Made nine tackles.
2015 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the coaches and media.
Season: Started 12 games, missing the Army contest due to injury...Recovered his first career fumble vs. Maryland (10/24)...Forced his first career fumble at Northwestern (11/7)...Ranked second on the team with 81 tackles.
at Temple (9/5): Made three tackles. Buffalo (9/12): Had six stops. Rutgers (9/19): Had a game-best 11 tackles...Part of a defense that held Rutgers to just three points, the fewest in a Big Ten opener since limiting Minnesota to three points in 1994...Helped hold Rutgers to 43 rushing yards, the fewest since giving up just 33 yards to Maryland in 2014. San Diego State (9/26): Made one tackle. Indiana (10/10): Recorded nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss...Helped snap Indiana’s string of nine games in which the Hoosiers scored 20-plus points...Part of a defense that held Indiana to 234 yards of total offense, the fewest allowed by PSU since giving up 221 at Indiana in 2014...Led a secondary that limited the Hoosiers’ 155 passing yards, the fewest allowed by Penn State in a Big Ten game since allowing 68 to Indiana in 2014. at Ohio State (10/17): Made eight tackles...Logged one tackle for loss. vs. Maryland (10/24): Made his first career fumble recovery in Penn State territory on Maryland’s third possession of the game...Tallied nine tackles...Recorded 1.0 sack...Helped the Nittany Lions force a season-high five turnovers. Illinois (10/31): Recorded three tackles...Added one pass breakup...Part of a defense that recorded its first Big Ten shutout since blanking Minnesota in 2009 (20-0)...Helped hold Illinois to just 167 yards (37 rushing, 130 passing), the fewest allowed since holding Minnesota to 138 yards (37 rushing, 101 passing) in 2009...As a unit, the defense forced a punt on 12 of Illinois’ 15 possessions, with two ending with a turnover on downs and the other halted by an interception. at Northwestern (11/7): Recorded seven tackles...Forced his first career fumble in the first quarter. Michigan (11/21): Made a season-high 12 tackles...Had one pass breakup...Helped hold Michigan to less than 100 yards rushing, the fifth Penn State opponent that failed to reach 100 rushing yards (87 on 30 carries). at Michigan State (11/28): Made six tackles. vs. Georgia (1/2): Collected six stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss...Forced a third quarter fumble that was recovered by the Bulldogs.
2014 • TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Selected to Athlon Sports third-team Freshman All-American...Named to BTN.com, ESPN.com and 247Sports Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Season: Appeared in all 13 games with seven starts...Made his first career start in the double-overtime contest against No. 13 Ohio State and started the final seven games of the season...One of three true freshmen to start on defense...Was among 16 Nittany Lions to make their first career start in 2014...Was one of nine true freshmen to make their debut during the season...Tied for third on the team with 58 stops (35 solo)...Posted three pass breakups and accounted for one sack (minus-11)...Was a main cog in a defense that held 11 of 13 opponents to under 300 yards of total offense and limited nine opponents to 20 or fewer points in regulation.
UCF (8/30): Made his collegiate debut in the thrilling 26-24 season-opening win in the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland. UMass (9/20): Registered his first career tackle in the third quarter...Ended the game with two solo tackles. Northwestern (9/27): Made one stop on defense. at Michigan (10/11): Registered one special teams tackle. Ohio State (10/25): Was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time after an injury to senior Ryan Keiser in practice on Thursday, Oct. 23...Logged a season-high 11 tackles (four solo). Maryland (11/1): Equaled his season-high with 11 stops (six solo) in the one-point loss...Posted his first career sack, an 11-yard takedown of C.J. Brown midway through the fourth quarter. at Indiana (11/8): Registered six tackles (five solo), including one tackle for loss...Helped the Nittany Lions shut out the Indiana offense, as the Hoosiers scored their fewest points at home since 2006, via a defensive touchdown. Temple (11/15): Helped Penn State become bowl eligible with a pair of solo stops...Limited the Owls to 61 rushing yards and just eight first downs, the fewest allowed by Penn State since 2011 against Indiana State (8). at Illinois (11/22): Ranked second on the team with nine tackles (eight solo)...Helped hold the Illini to 2-of-16 on third down conversions and just 16 points. Michigan State (11/29): Registered nine tackles (four solo)...Aided a defense that held Michigan State to 298 total yards, marking the only time in 2014 the Spartans were held to less than 300 yards of total offense. vs. Boston College (12/27): Made six stops (four solo) in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
HIGH SCHOOL
A three-year letterman at Dr. Henry Wise High School for head coach Dalawn Parrish...Recorded 15 tackles and two fumble recoveries in three games before having his senior season cut short due to an ankle injury...Helped the Pumas to a perfect 14-0 record and the Maryland 4A State Championship as a junior...Produced 70 tackles, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups as a junior...Logged 65 stops and broke up eight passes during his sophomore season...Was invited to participate in the Big 33 Classic and Maryland Crab Bowl following his senior season...Was rated a four-star recruit by Scout and 247Sports and a three-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals...Ranked as a Top 30 prospect at safety nationally by Scout and 247Sports...Was rated the No. 6 prep player in Maryland by 247Sports.
PERSONAL
Full name is Marcus Deshawn Allen...Son of Shawn and Latonya Allen...Has one brother, Shawn, and three sisters, Nadia, Mariah and Danielle...Is the godson of former Pitt and NFL standout running back Curtis Martin...Majoring in broadcast journalism...Born August 7, 1996 in Silver Spring, Maryland.