Ken Talley a four-star signee from Penn State’s 2022 class, is now unofficially a Michigan State Spartan.
Talley, who came to Penn State as a four-star defensive end from Northeast High School in Philadelphia, entered the transfer portal last month two weeks after Penn State’s camp started.
Talley collected 95 tackles (20 for loss) and 12 sacks, which earned him the 6A Public League MVP as a senior.
247Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN all rated Talley a four-star. 247, Rivals and ESPN all had him as a top ten overall player in Pennsylvania from his class, and On3 had him just shy at No. 11.
It’s not yet clear why Talley left Penn State, but part of the reason could be the team’s deep defensive end room.
Months after Talley signed, Chop Robinson transferred in from Maryland. Penn State also has Adisa Isaac back after missing all of 2021 due to injury, and Nick Tarburton a returning starter from last year. Talley also had completion in the 2022 class, with five-star Dani Dennis-Sutton in the fold.
Much of the chagrin of Penn State fans, Michigan State is getting a talented player who, in the words of his high school coach, Eric Clark, is “the life of the party.”
“He has the biggest personality, Clark said in a quote on Talley’s Penn State roster page. “He loves having fun with the people around him, from his family to his teammates and our staff, and it’s contagious. He’s always got a big smile on his face. He plays with a passion that can’t be taught. I’ve never seen someone play with such passion, and we’ve had great players come through our program, and he’s special.”
Talley, who has not yet signed with Michigan State, has all four years of eligibility remaining, but will not be able to play this season because he entered the portal too late.
