To be selected a player must be named first team on at least two of the five selected All-America teams. Second teams were used to break ties. Allen was one of eight players who were unanimous choices at specific positions by the five organizations used in the consensus chart — American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation.
Allen has been named a first-team All-America choice by Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sports Illustrated, TheAthletic.com, ESPN, AP, College Football News, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, USA Today, CBS, American Football Coaches Association and Athlon.
The Montclair, N.J., native is UK's first consensus All-American since wide receiver/kick returner Derek Abney in 2002 and the first unanimous selection since defensive lineman Art Still in 1977.
Allen has been a pass rush terror this season. With 28.5 career sacks and 14 sacks in 2018, he now holds UK's career and single-season records. His 11 career forced fumbles tie former Wildcats and current Chicago Bear Danny Trevathan for UK's career mark (forced fumbles stats available since 1988). He leads the team with 84 tackles and paces the SEC in sacks, tackles for loss (18.5) and forced fumbles (5). He is among the NCAA leaders in sacks, TFL and forced fumbles. Twelve of his 14 sacks have come in the second half of games, including eight in the fourth quarter. In five of UK's wins this season, Allen had a sack in the fourth quarter that was crucial to the Wildcat victory, including two sack/fumble/UK recoveries on the opponent's final possession of one-score games.
A summary of his growing list of accolades are:
- Bronko Nagurski Award, National Defensive Player of the Year
- Chuck Bednarik Award, National Defensive Player of the Year
- Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy, National Defensive Player of the Year
- Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club SEC Lineman of the Year
- SEC Defensive Player of the Year (AP, Coaches, Athlon, ESPN)
- First-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, Athlon, ESPN)
- Consensus First-Team All-American
