FB's Michael Allen Named to Witten Award Watch List

DALLAS – Baylor football fifth-year senior safety Michael Allen has been named to the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year watch list.

Nominated by their schools, members of the watch list have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field. Allen is one of 89 candidates nominated for this year's award.

One of the most highly regarded leaders on the Bears' roster, Allen has dedicated over 100 hours of his time to work in the Waco community. From assisting in food preparation of school lunches to building homes for underserved areas of Waco, facilitating toy drives and reading to elementary school students, among many other service opportunities, Allen has been an active member in the community fostering relationships and serving those in need.

Perhaps his most notable work comes as Baylor's chapter leader for Uplifting Athletes, a national nonprofit that harnesses the power of sport to raise money and bring hope to people impacted by rare diseases. Supporters are able to pledge a monetary amount per rep that athletes complete at dedicated workouts, with all proceeds going to research for cures and treatments. For the last four years, Allen has organized and led fundraising events that raised more than $10,000 in support of rare disease research by recruiting teammates, campus partners and community members.

Allen has played in 30 career games, primarily serving as the team's lead blocker on kickoff returns. He has returned four kicks in his career for 84 total yards, including a career long of 27 yards against Prairie View A&M in the 2026 home opener. After breaking his arm on a first-quarter kick return at Oklahoma State in 2025, Allen remained in the game and played through the pain before missing the next three weeks to recover from the injury.

Off the field, Allen holds a perfect 4.0 GPA in pursuit of a master's in business administration. He earned a finance and management degree from Baylor with a 3.96 GPA throughout his undergraduate career.

Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Three finalists will then be named for the award on Monday, Dec. 14. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony in Spring 2027.

The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor football, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.

BAYLOR FOOTBALL 2026 HONORS
Michael Allen, S
AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Jason Witten Man of the Year Nominee
William V. Campbell Trophy Nominee
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Travion Barnes, LB
Preseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Ryan Davis, JACK
Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (PFN)

Gavin Freeman, WR
Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (PFN)

DJ Lagway, QB
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Tony Livingston, TE
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Dawson Pendergrass, RB
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Jacob Redding, S
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team FLEX (Sports Info Solutions)

Dylan Schaub, LS
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)

Kaden Sieracki, OT
Preseason All-Big Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Devonte Tezino, DL
Shriners 1000 Watch List

LeVar Thornton Jr., CB
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Devin Turner, S
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Hosea Wheeler, DL
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Shriners 1000 Watch List

Palmer Williams, P
Week 1 - Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week
Preseason All-America First Team (Walter Camp Foundation)
Preseason All-America Second Team (CBS Sports)
Preseason All-America Third Team (Phil Steele)
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team (Media, Phil Steele)
Preseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Ray Guy Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List

-BaylorBears.com-

FB's Michael Allen Named to Witten Award Watch List

Players Mentioned

Michael Allen

Travion Barnes

Ryan Davis

Gavin Freeman

DJ Lagway

Tony Livingston

Dawson Pendergrass

Jacob Redding

Dylan Schaub

Kaden Sieracki

Devonte Tezino

LeVar Thornton Jr.

Devin Turner

Hosea Wheeler

Palmer Williams

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