Sophomore defensive lineman Dalton Allen (Delaware, OH/Hayes) has capped a breakout 2024 season with third-team D3football.com All-Region honors after he led Wittenberg and the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in solo sacks (8) and total sacks (9.5). It is the first all-region award in Allen's collegiate career, and it comes on the heels of his first-team All-NCAC recognition announced earlier this month.
The 20th annual D3football.com All-Region Teams were announced on December 11. Players were nominated by sports information representatives at schools and conferences across the country. All-Region teams were selected in balloting by sports information directors in each region and D3football.com staff. All players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for the D3football.com All-America Team.
Allen spearheaded a defensive unit that ranked second in the NCAC with 282.8 yards allowed per game in 2024. In addition to leading the Tigers in sacks, Allen was tops with 17.5 tackles for a total of 83 yards lost on the season. He ranked fifth on the team with 46 total tackles, and he was also credited with one forced fumble and one pass break-up.
Allen's biggest game of the season came in a 27-7 win over Kenyon on Oct. 19. He tallied seven tackles, including five solo and two assisted, to help hold the Owls to just 66 yards on 65 plays. Of Allen's seven tackles, he recorded five sacks for 32 yards lost, breaking the previous program record.
The 2024 season was Wittenberg's third under the direction of Head Coach Jim Collins '88, who has a record of 18-12 leading the Tigers and a 28-year record as a head coach of 153-145, including stops at Dubuque, Capital, and Saginaw Valley State before Wittenberg. The Tigers posted records of 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the NCAC in 2024.