Virginia Union star Curtis Allen earns pair of NFL rookie minicamp invites

Curtis Allen’s 2025 season was so overwhelming that the next stop is no longer a question of recognition, but of conversion. The Virginia Union running back has earned rookie minicamp invitations from the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons, giving the reigning Black College Football Player of the Year a real chance to turn small-school domination into an NFL roster push.

Allen arrives with numbers that demand attention. Virginia Union said he rushed for 2,386 yards on 297 carries last season, averaged 198.8 yards per game and 8.0 yards per carry, and scored 30 rushing touchdowns and 180 total points. He topped 100 rushing yards in every game and went over 200 yards four times, production that made him one of the most productive backs in Division II and one of the most bankable runners in HBCU football.

The spring workout window opens with stakes attached. The NFL’s rookie football development program may begin on May 11, and Allen’s task in minicamp will be bigger than simply looking good in shorts. He has to show that his burst translates against faster defenders, that he can protect the quarterback when asked to stay in the backfield, that he can catch the ball cleanly enough to expand his role, and that he can add value on special teams if the offensive workload does not come immediately.

The invitation list also tells the story of how far Allen has climbed. Seattle enters the mix as the reigning Super Bowl champion, while Atlanta adds another franchise willing to give an HBCU star a look after a season packed with awards. Allen won the Harlon Hill Trophy on December 19, 2025, was one of eight national finalists for that honor, and was named the 2025 D2CCA Super Region One Offensive Player of the Year. The CIAA also said he led the nation in six statistical categories.

Allen’s place in Virginia Union history is already secure. HBCU Sports noted that he became only the third running back ever to win the Deacon Jones Trophy, only the third Division II player ever to claim it, and that Virginia Union became the third school to win the award in consecutive years after Jada Byers. Allen finished his career with 3,819 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns, then added another layer to his résumé when Virginia Union named him its RVA Sports Male Athlete of the Year on March 1, 2026, and later honored him with Bruni Martinez at the Athletic Director’s Awards on April 22. For Virginia Union, the message is clear: elite HBCU production can still force open an NFL door.