As expected, Penn State CB Kalen King has declared for the NFL Draft.
All season, King had been expected to declare after 2023, and although the announcement happened later than some expected, it’s now official.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder traveled with Penn State for its Peach Bowl game against Ole Miss and Atlanta, and thus was expected by most to play, at least for part of the game.
Instead, it was revealed on the Big Ten’s mandatory availability report released roughly two hours before the game that King and OL Olu Fashanu— who had already announced he’d be declaring for the draft— were OUT for the game. With King and Johnny Dixon opted out, the less experienced Cam Miller (sophomore) and Zion Tracy (freshman) were thrown into the fire, and Ole Miss took advantage.
QB Jaxson Dart threw for 379 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, completing 25 of 40 passes in Ole Miss’ 38-25 win over Penn State.
In King’s statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote that “it has truly been a pleasure playing in front of the nation’s greatest fans for these last three seasons.”
“There is nothing like running out of the tunnel at Beaver Stadium with my brothers and competing week in and week out,” the statement read. “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.”
In his first year as a starter last season, King became one of college football’s best corners, breaking up 18 passes to lead the Big Ten. He formed a solid CB duo first with Joey Porter Jr, then Dixon.
