Nebraska football running back transferring to Miami
Ajay Allen has officially moved on from the Nebraska football program.
Allen, who entered the transfer portal on the last day of the spring window April 30, has found a new home. The former Husker running back announced his transfer to Miami on Monday, joining head coach Mario Cristobal’s program. Allen will have at least four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in his one season with Nebraska.
Allen rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns in four games as a Husker before suffering a season-ending broken collarbone in Game 4 against Oklahoma. He was the Huskers’ 12th-and-final portal entry of the spring window, and he was their 23rd overall scholarship player to transfer out of the program since Dec. 5 – the first date of the 45-day winter transfer window.
He is one of seven members of Scott Frost’s final recruiting class to leave the program as Allen joins linebacker Ernest Hausmann (Michigan), defensive backs Jaeden Gould (Syracuse) and Jalil Martin, wide receivers Decoldest Crawford (Louisiana Tech) and Victor Jones Jr. (Liberty) and quarterback Richard Torres.
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Allen, a three-star prospect out of Neville (La.) High School, signed with Nebraska in the Class of 2022 largely on the back of Bryan Applewhite. The former Husker running backs coach, who held the same position at TCU before his move to Lincoln, flipped Allen from the Horned Frogs to give Nebraska one of its brightest young talents on the entire roster.
He flashed during fall camp and soared toward the top of the depth chart as the No. 2 running back behind Anthony Grant.
Allen was the team’s second-best running back in the season opener against Northwestern. He parlayed that into a 58-yard rushing performance against North Dakota in which he scored his first career touchdown – a massive 14-yard score that gave the Huskers some desperately needed breathing room as they held only a seven-point lead with less than seven minutes remaining against an FCS opponent. Allen’s score gave Nebraska a 14-point cushion, and the team added another one late for a 38-17 win.
Allen saw increased action the next week and delivered with 76 rushing yards and a touchdown against Georgia Southern. He looked like he was well on his way to a similar performance against Oklahoma with 49 yards rushing before suffering the collarbone injury about midway through the third quarter.
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Allen’s exit was a hit to the Huskers’ overall talent and depth in the running back room – one that head coach Matt Rhule and position coach E.J. Barthel have shown belief and confidence in ever since stepping foot on campus. Rhule marked the running backs as “one of our strengths” during spring ball, and Barthel said that he never considered adding through the transfer portal in December because he liked the backs who were already on the Huskers’ roster.
Nebraska’s running backs group remains strong with Gabe Ervin Jr. and Grant at the top, Rahmir Johnson and Emmett Johnson as intriguing pieces and 2023 signee Kwinten Ives as an impressive physical and athletic incoming prospect.
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