Kalen King shares excitement to guard Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka

No. 7 Penn State travels to Columbus for a blockbuster Big Ten matchup against No. 3 Ohio State, and nobody has a tougher job than Kalen King and the Nittany Lions secondary.

It’s their job to guard arguably the two best wide receivers in college football in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Discussing the matter with On3’s Andy Staples, King is more than up for the challenge heading into the weekend.

“Any opportunity for me to guard players of that talent with that much skill. It’s always exciting for me because I can test my skills and get to compete against the best in college football,” King told Staples. “I never have a problem competing against the best because I consider myself one of the best as well.”

While King is sure to have the duo in check to the best of his and his teammate’s abilities — it’s not very often that a quarterback is given the luxury that Kyle McCord enjoys.

Harrison Jr. has combined for 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns for the Buckeyes over the past two weeks. He’s gained at least 105 receiving yards in each game that he hauls in five or more catches. Only twice this season has he had less — and he only possessed the ball two and three times, respectively, during those matchups.

On the season, he’s hauled in 31 total receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns. The sure-handed receiver is a big reason why the Buckeyes are 6-0 and in prime position to lead his time to another College Football Playoff in 2023.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Egbuka would be WR1 at any other program in the country. On the season, he’s hauled in 22 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns. His season-best performance came during the 17-14 Notre Dame win, catching seven passes for 96 yards during the contest.

Of course, King is one of the few defensive backs expected to hear his name called in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft — and rightfully so. He only has six tackles and one pass break-up to his credit on the year because quarterbacks simply don’t tend to throw his way. He’s still searching for his first interception on the season, and there’s no better time than on a national stage against Ohio State.

Kickoff for the blockbuster matchup is scheduled for Noon ET live on Fox.