Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 10-48@ Alabama | 6 | 15 | 2.5 | 0 | 7 | Season-high 15 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 24-27vs App State | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 1 | 6 | |
| Total | 10 | 27 | 2.8 | 1 | 7 |
#21
Michael Allen
Senior running back for East Carolina. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 206 lb · Greenville, NC · J.H. Rose
CFB Index 42 · #197 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceTransferred Marshall → East Carolina for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
27
rushing yards · 2026
1 TD · 2.7 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 12 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds, vs App State
The play that turned itSwung Marshall from 43% to 78% to win.Marshall at Louisiana · 54-51
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 running back for East Carolina. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to NC State in 2022.
- Transferred from Marshall to East Carolina in 2026.
Michael Allen
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Four head coaches in five seasons, at four different programs. The receipt on tape: 15 rush yds against Alabama, Week 1, 2026.
27 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 10 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
20226 games
- Signed with NC State4-star out of J.H. Rose
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
4 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coaches2022–2024
East Carolina
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Houston → Blake Harrell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to East Carolina
2025Marshall
2026East Carolina
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022NC State8-5HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced
2023NC State9-4HC: Dave Doeren · Run-leaning
2024UNLV11-3HC: Barry Odom · Run-heavy
2025Marshall5-7HC: Tony Gibson · Run-leaning
2026East Carolina0-2HC: Blake Harrell · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 13.5 YDS/g, 2.8 YPC, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Blake Harrell
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | East Carolina | 10 | 27 | 2.7 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Marshall | 77 | 385 | 5.0 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | UNLV | 19 | 108 | 5.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | NC State | 52 | 251 | 4.8 | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | NC State | 53 | 268 | 5.1 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 211 | 1,039 | 4.9 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | East Carolina | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Marshall | 12 | 139 | 11.6 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | UNLV | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | NC State | 11 | 66 | 6.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2022 | NC State | 11 | 97 | 8.8 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 36 | 312 | 8.7 | 2 | -- |
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · App State · 2&2 · Q1 · EPA +2.07(04:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 M.Allen rush middle for 2 yards gain to the APP00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 04:11 #43 N.Perez kick attempt good (H: #83 E.Huether, LS: #53 B.Shirley)
- Week 2 · App State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -0.96(03:56) No Huddle-Shotgun #12 M.Griffis pass complete short left to #21 M.Allen caught at ECU18, for 3 yards loss to the ECU22 (#4 J.Gude; #33 A.Benton)
- Week 2 · App State · 2&4 · Q2 · EPA -0.72(08:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 M.Allen rush middle for 1 yard gain to the ECU32 (#13 K.Thomas)
- Week 1 · Alabama · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.59Michael Allen run for 1 yd to the ECU 26
- Week 2 · App State · 2&1 · Q4 · EPA -0.42(03:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 M.Allen rush middle for 3 yards gain to the APP27 (#1 J.McBurrows), 1ST DOWN. #33 A.Benton injured on the play
- Week 1 · Alabama · 2&7 · Q3 · EPA -0.40Michael Allen run for no gain to the ALA 17
- Week 1 · Alabama · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -0.40Michael Allen run for 3 yds to the ALA 48
- Week 1 · Alabama · 2&9 · Q4 · EPA -0.34Michael Allen run for 1 yd to the ECU 27
- Week 2 · App State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.33(08:42) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 M.Allen rush middle for 6 yards gain to the ECU31 (#12 C.Grant; #13 K.Thomas)
- Week 1 · Alabama · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA +0.28Michael Allen run for 7 yds to the ALA 20 for a 1ST down
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Anthony Watkins’s 2024 season.
86%match
Matches Anthony on
Yards / reception
Rush TD rate
Weight
Through 5 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Joshua Samuel’s path through Austin Peay.
98%match
#4
Narii Gaither
92%
Matches Joshua on
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Ajay Allen's senior season at Tulsa (2025).
77%match
Matches Ajay on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Weight
Receiving share
Player DNA
Players who play like Michael Allen
Background
Mid-year graduate transfer from Marshall who, enrolled at East Carolina in January of 2026 … Three-time letterman (2/NC State, 1/Marshall) … Appeared in 28 games making seven starts in collegiate career … Tallied 1,331 all-purpose yards (1,012 rush, 302 receiving, 17 special teams) … Scored eight...
The backfield · East Carolina
- #21Michael Allen385 rushing yards · 2025
- #3Ashton Gray377 rushing yards · 2025
- #4TJ Engleman Jr.306 rushing yards · 2025
- #5DeJuan Lacy44 rushing yards · 2025
- #22Michael Beatty1 game · 2025
2 more on the roster · East Carolina team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology