NDA running back Kingston Allen was riding in the car with his mom heading towards Minnesota when he dialed Badgers running back coach Jayden Everett to tell him he was coming home.
Coach Everett was getting a haircut as he picked up the call, and the first person Allen told after hanging up the phone wasn’t a coach or a teammate; it was his grandmother.
When asked what was all going through his mind when he officially committed, Allen said it simply, “I was happy the wait was over.”
This is how the most decorated high school running back in the state of Wisconsin high school history verbally committed to Wisconsin.
“I think he’s a good Badger due to the running backs that came before his arrival, and I think he’s going to contribute to that group of legends and make Badger history,” said NDA quarterback Max Pierce.
There was no giant media event or big-time announcements, just a phone call and a barbershop celebration; the media hype only followed after Allen posted his commitment to Instagram.
As far as the media coverage he’s been receiving, Allen said, “Just another blessing to receive attention from people looking for a story.”
To understand why this moment is so significant, we need to start from the beginning.
Allen had two FCS offers and one Mid-Major FBS offer from Eastern Michigan entering his junior season.
He hadn’t been under the radar, but he wasn’t the player that the entire state would talk about by December of that year.
And then the season began.
When it finished, Allen rewrote the record books, running for 3,548 yards and scoring 57 touchdowns, single-season state records.
“Kingston’s combination of vision, toughness, and explosiveness made him a constant threat, and his work ethic and leadership set the tone for our entire team,” said Tritons running back coach Ben Augstine. “Not to mention, he is also very humble and coachable.”
He averaged 9.6 YPC (Yards Per Carry), and when asked what separated him from other players in his position, Allen stated, “My speed and agility are what separates me.”
The postseason run was immaculate, with his rushing for 986 yards and 15 in his first two playoff games alone, including two consecutive outings of 477 and 509 yards.
“I think he’s a great kid and a great athlete for sure,” said senior lineman Aiden Doxitator. “He’s humble in his game and humble in his commitment as well. I think it’s a win for both the Badgers and Kingston.”
In the Division 2 state title game at Camp Randall Stadium, the same venue Allen will continue to play in college, he had 231 yards and two touchdowns versus a dominant West De Pere team.
The calls and visits from other schools followed: Northwestern, Iowa State, and then the Badgers.
“I had some attention from lower D1 schools, and as I played better, I gained more attention from the larger schools,” Allen said.
And when asked why Wisconsin was the best place for Allen, in life and football, Allen said, “I like the football atmosphere, and it’s very close to home.”
Allen received the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year award, the first time in NDA history.
Some say that his winning this award places him among some notable football legends, such as Peyton Manning, Joe Burrow and even the Badger legend, Melvin Gordon, all previous winners in their respective states.
Allen didn’t make the college decision lightly; he weighed his options very heavily.
He listed six public scholarships to help narrow down the choices as the process progressed.
However, the Wisconsin Badgers remained drawn to Allen.
Asked what he thought Wisconsin coaches saw in him, Allen said, “A versatile running back that can provide for the team in many different ways.”
While part of it was simply due to being close to home, another aspect was its identity, what Wisconsin football is built upon.
That was not just some sales pitch to Allen; it was personal to him.
Wisconsin football has a notable identity when it comes to his position, having been known as Running Back University (RBU). To which Allen said, “I want to continue the lineage of ‘RBU’.”
Allen knew a legacy of Badger running backs existed the moment he arrived on Madison’s campus for spring practice.
Allen is most proud of creating endurance, believing in absorbing hits and continuing to move forward, both on and off the field.
“I’ve improved the most in my ability to take contact and maintain durability,” Allen stated.
Traits that matter much more than speed at the Big Ten level include standing over 6 feet tall and weighing in officially at 195 lbs with a 4.5 second forty-yard dash time; with these, Allen is equipped to perform in running over defenders and missing tackles in space.
He also credited what NDA taught him, saying, “Notre Dame has put me in position to succeed.”
With Allen committing, Wisconsin can now keep four of the best players in the state of Wisconsin for its incoming 2027 class.
Additionally, all eight current commitments are from Wisconsin and currently projected to rank in the Top 10 nationally.
Allen also felt drawn by the Wisconsin Badger fans themselves, and he has already developed connections with many of his future teammates on every trip to Madison.
One thing Allen has not forgotten is that NDA fell short against the West De Pere Phantoms this past November for the Division 2 state title– runner-up, close but not quite there.
Just a year prior, the Tritons won the state championship against Catholic Memorial, the dominating Triton running back during that time being the legendary Triton and Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch Award winner, Christian Collins.
Collins had this to say about Allen’s recent commitment: “Super proud of Kingston! He was a great teammate, and I can’t wait to see what he does for the Badgers.”
Allen isn’t the only Triton heading to a major program, and he definitely isn’t the first.
Former Triton tight end and Al Toon Award Winner, James Flanigan, who now plays for the Notre Dame Irish, is a great example of this and even commented on Kingston’s recent commitment.
“It’s been awesome to see Kingston’s growth; he’s carrying on the Notre Dame Academy workhorse running back traditions,” said Flanigan. “I’m excited to see what he does next year and in college.”
The younger brother of James Flanigan, Richie Flanigan, who is in the same class as Allen, is also following the family footsteps and committing to the University of Notre Dame.
Two members of the same high school roster are each headed to teams on a national stage.
First, though, the Triton squad still has another season together before they part ways.
And when asked how one stays focused with all this attention and success, Allen said, “Counting my blessings, thanking God, and doing what I was put on this earth to do is how I handle it.”
