Penn State Football: Freshman King Set for Time at Corner This Weekend

According to Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, true freshman Kalen King will play for the Nittany Lions this weekend against Wisconsin and should see substantial action for Penn State all season long.

“He continues to do great things,” Smith said. “He had a really great spring for us, a great summer and a great fall camp. He’s going to play a lot of football for us and we’re excited about him. We’re going to continue to push him along and move him forward and get him some reps.”

King would be the second young corner to see the field in a meaningful role in as many years joining sophomore Joey Porter Jr. who made his debut in 2020 seeing action in four games before dealing with injury.

All told the Nittany Lions’ cornerback room finds itself on the younger side with eight of the 11 listed cornerbacks on Penn State’s roster coming in younger than junior eligibility. Only South Carolina transfer Johnny Dixon, Florida State transfer A.J. Lytton and senior Tariq Castro-Fields enter the room as upperclassmen

“[King] is probably the most advanced freshman that we have had since we’ve been here in terms of his ability to practice and compete, both physically and mentally,” Penn State coach James Franklin said during spring practice. “He’s really doing well. You’d come to practice and you wouldn’t think that [he is a freshman].”

King comes to Penn State as a four-star prospect who was rated the No. 10 overall cornerback in the nation and No. 134th best overall prospect. He was a standout this spring during both of the media-attended scrimmages, receiving rave reviews throughout the entirety of his time on campus so far.

“He’s going to play Saturday,” Smith added. “We’re really happy with where he is.”

King certainly won’t be taking the field without a host of experience around him with the likes of Keaton Ellis, Tariq Castro-Fields, Daequan Hardy, Joey Porter Jr., and Marquis Wilson in the wings with Big Ten playing experience at corner, although Ellis made the switch to safety this summer.

Castro-Fields and Porter are expected to make the main rotation at corner while Jaquan Brisker will start at safety with Ji’Ayir Brown filling the role at the second safety spot. Franklin told reporters after practice on Wednesday that Brown would take on that role.