INDIANAPOLIS — Kobe King’s decision loomed over Penn State in the days that followed a loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the team’s dynamic running back tandem, starting quarterback Drew Allar, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and more had all announced their returns. King ultimately opted to take a different route.
“Looking back at my process and the way I prepared throughout my career, I definitely felt like I progressed throughout my career, as well. Excelled in certain areas, stats, growing as a player, as a person, as a man,” King said on Wednesday. “I just thought I was ready to take the next step, and ready to show the next level that I can be one of the best at the next level.”
King was the quarterback of a defense that catapulted the Nittany Lions into the College Football Playoff semifinals. He did more than just pack the stat sheet, finishing the year just two tackles shy of the team’s lead. King manned the in-helmet communication microphone, adjusting his teammates following play call instructions. He was essential.
But after four seasons, a ride that saw him grow from seldom-used reserve linebacker to All-Big Ten defender, King set his sights on the NFL. While teammates Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren sit out on-field drills with first-round futures all but solidified, King has something to prove at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine — that he made the right decision.
“This week can do a lot, man,” King said. “The film might speak for itself, but this week can definitely catapult me higher than what most people may think or may project me in. I’m taking advantage of it, I’m attacking it and I’m ready for it.”
King isn’t oblivious to the risk he took by turning professional with a year of collegiate eligibility remaining. He watched as his twin brother, Kalen, drop from a projected first-round cornerback in the preseason to ultimately a seventh-round selection in last year’s draft. Kalen spent most of his rookie season on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad, and has yet to make his NFL debut.
But Kobe King is his own man. He learned that over the course of a year that saw him separated from his twin for the first time in their lives. And he thrived as an independent entity. Kalen has been in his brother’s ear over the course of the early pre-draft process, but King is striving to continue paving his own path.
“He gave me tips and certain things to look into and certain things to do and try differently than he did. But we’re two different people. I’m a linebacker, he’s a corner, ” King said. “But he definitely gave me some tips and things to do. I’m looking forward to this process.”
The departure of defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who left for the same role at Clemson after one year at Penn State, did not appear to be a factor in King’s decision to depart, despite speculation after he left Allen’s name out of his farewell address. King said that Allen helped him “become a better man,” and that the timing of each of their exits did not align.
“I kind of really had my mind set and my gut feeling concrete before it was made public that he was leaving,” King said in regard to whether Allen’s decision impacted his own. “But, no I don’t believe so. My DC’s been changed since my freshman year, then with Manny Diaz getting out there my third year and (Allen) coming in. I don’t really think any coaches leaving steered me to leave or stay.”
The Nittany Lions have since hired Jim Knowles, formerly of Ohio State, as their new defensive coordinator. A substantial portion of their corps from last season is set to stick around, and the team appears positioned to add another wide receiver when the spring transfer portal window opens. King is leaving behind a program with national title aspirations, and that’s alright with him.
“It was a long, thought-out process for me, a lot of things to think about, a lot of things to talk about [with] my family and go over. It really started intrinsically, really just talking to myself and sticking with my gut and seeing how I really feel,” King said “… The experience from my freshman year to the last game I played in Miami, it really was a testament to my progress, how much I’ve grown from my first game to my last game.
“I cherished it all. I cherished the fans. I cherished playing with my teammates.”
