Penn State cornerback Kalen King declares for 2024 NFL Draft. Here’s what he said
Penn State football will be without one of its top defenders next year.
Cornerback Kalen King declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Sunday night, making the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. He also thanked his coaches, teammates and family for helping him make it this far.
“I never could have imagined receiving this amount of support and guidance from this remarkable coaching and support staff this football program has,” King wrote on social media. “I have been very blessed to have great teammates who have pushed me to be the player I am.”
King is the third cornerback the team is set to lose after Johnny Dixon exhausted his eligibility and Daequan Hardy declared for the draft. Dixon started on the outside along with King while Hardy started in the slot. King did not play in the Nittany Lions’ 38-25 Peach Bowl loss to Ole Miss on Saturday.
He’s projected as a potential first-round pick after recording three interceptions in his career, all of which came in 2022. He finishes his Penn State career with 80 tackles and 22 passes defended, while showing the ability to excel in man coverage.
King’s departure was expected, but now means the defense will have to replace at least six starters next season with all three corners, LB Curtis Jacobs and defensive ends Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson moving on. That on-field transition will take place under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who replaces former defense coordinator Manny Diaz after Diaz took the head coaching position at Duke.
Allen and the rest of the program will next take the field Aug. 31 when the Nittany Lions head on the road to take on West Virginia in Morgantown.
This story was originally published January 1, 2024 at 11:07 AM.
