Vikings sign Marcus Allen, with a Hall of Fame name and an athletic dad

Vikings sign Marcus Allen, with a Hall of Fame name and an athletic dad originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Minnesota Vikings have just signed Marcus Allen.

And no, there's no relation to the Hall of Fame running back by the same name.

But it's still a fun coincidence, and it may make some fans do a double take if this Allen gets on the field this summer and beyond.

This Allen has signed as an undrafted free agent after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft.

He's a cornerback from the University of North Carolina, where he spent his entire college career.

Allen measures at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, solid length on the perimeter.

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In 2025, he started all 12 games for Bill Belichick's squad. He totaled 36 tackles and a team-high eight pass breakups. He also had multiple tackles for loss.

Allen is originally from Walton High School in Georgia, where he was a four-star recruit.

His father wasn't Marcus Allen, but he was an athlete. Derrik Allen played basketball at Army.

His brother, also named Derrick, played defensive back at Georgia Tech and then at UNC, too.

Allen is set to celebrate a birthday on Monday, April 27, so the NFL contract is a little bit of an early present.

His next task is to try to earn a gift of a roster spot for himself to make it so there's another Marcus Allen in the NFL.

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