NC State sophomore running back Michael Allen became the third ballcarrier to leave the Wolfpack program this season.
Allen announced Monday that he’s done playing this season and will seek a new home in the NCAA transfer portal. The 5-foot-9, 205-pounder from Greenville (N.C.) Rose High, provided some spark to the backfield as a freshman, but his progress stalled this season. He leads NC State's running backs with 52 carries for 251 yards and one touchdown.
Allen joins senior running back Jordan Houston in joining the transfer portal, and redshirt sophomore Micah Crowell decided to give up playing football. NC State also has redshirt junior backup running back Demarcus Jones out with an injury. That created the conversion of linebacker Jordan Poole to fullback in recent games, and he’s created a boost with his blocking. NCSU also lost sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye to the portal after last year.
The attrition has left freshman Kendrick Raphael and redshirt junior Delbert Mimms going into the North Carolina game Saturday. NC State has also played freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion in the backfield to make up for the void. The Wolfpack have verbal commitments from Stockbridge (Ga.) High senior running back Duke Scott and Rolesville (N.C.) High running back Isiah Jones.
Allen had planned to redshirt last season, but he wanted to play and moved into the lineup Sept. 24 against Connecticut, where he gained 66 yards on 10 carries, plus two catches for six. He played a total of six games — the redshirt rule is four — and finished with 50 carries for 263 yards, and he added eight receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown against Louisville.
Allen burst on to the recruiting scene at a young age at Rose High his sophomore year. However, a knee injury shortened his junior campaign.
Allen ended up playing flanker and running back his senior, leading Rose to the NCHSAA 3A state title game.
Allen rushed 158 times for 1,169 yards and 18 touchdowns, and caught 43 passes for 643 yards and eight scores in 16 games his senior year. Rivals.com rated him the No. 13 overall player in the state of North Carolina and the No. 13 all-purpose back in the country in the class of 2022. He was a three-star prospect, and also was an accomplished baseball player and track standout in high school, when healthy.
Allen picked NC State on June 18 over offers from North Carolina, East Carolina, Louisville and South Carolina, among others.
NC State departures
• Michael Allen, running back, sophomore
• Micah Crowell, running back, redshirt sophomore
• Darius Edmundson, safety, senior
• Jordan Houston, running back, senior
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