Penn State CB Kalen King officially declares for NFL Draft

Penn State cornerback Kalen King has officially announced that he’ll enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Throughout last week, King was spotted at practice as the Nittany Lions prepared for the Peach Bowl, giving some the impression he may play. However, he ultimately opted out of the game, making it clear that he’ll turn his attention to the professional ranks.

Now, on Sunday evening, King made it official via social media.

“It has truly been a pleasure playing in front of the nation’s greatest fans these last three seasons,” King posted. “There is nothing like running out of the tunnel at Bever Stadium with my brothers and competing week in and week out.

“We’ve had some great success during my time here, and I know this program will continue to have success in the years to come. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to forego my final year of eligibility to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL.”

A Top 100 prospect in the Class of 2021, King made an immediate impact when he arrived on campus, playing in 12 games his freshman season. By the final four games that year, he averaged more than 40 snaps, including his first start when Penn State played Arkansas in the Outback Bowl.

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Playing alongside Joey Porter Jr. in 2022, King’s sophomore season will go down as his best in Happy Valley, earning second-team All-America honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and third-team All-America honors by Pro Football Focus. King finished that season with 30 tackles, three interceptions and an impressive 21 passes defended, which ranked third nationally.

His overall defensive grade of 89.0 by Pro Football Focus was seventh in the nation out of more than 600 cornerbacks at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. When specifically grading his coverage skills, he ranked even higher, totaling a 90.6 overall grade that ranked fourth-best nationally.

“My success, especially these last three seasons, would not have been possible without the support from Coach [James] Franklin, Coach Terry [Smith], my Penn State teammates and my entire family. I never could have imagined receiving this amount of support and guidance from this remarkable coaching and support staff this football program has. I have been very blessed to have great teammates who have pushed me to be the player I am,” King posted.

Coming into 2023, King was consistently recognized in mock drafts as one of Penn State’s top players, with projected first-round grades by multiple outlets. However, that took a bit of a hit as his junior season progressed.

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Back in October, King’s showdown with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. grabbed the attention of scouts when he allowed seven of eight targets to be completed for an average of 15 yards per catch. He finished the season with 29 tackles but had just two pass breakups and no interceptions.

However, King’s decision to pass on his senior season at Penn State is still warranted. ESPN ranked him as the eighth-best cornerback available at the beginning of December, while other draft experts still believe there’s a chance he could go in the first round. How he performs at the NFL Combine could have a big impact.

King is now the third Penn State cornerback to declare for the NFL Draft. Johnny Dixon also opted out of the Peach Bowl. Daequan Hardy did play in the game. He announced back on Dec. 21 that he’ll enter the draft.

Smith and PSU’s recruiting staff have been searching for experienced cornerbacks in the transfer portal, but so far the Lions haven’t added anyone. As of now, sophomore Cam Miller and freshmen Zion Tracy and Elliott Washington are in line to replace those three.