A day after opting out of the Peach Bowl, Penn State defensive back [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] made his intentions official. King declared early for the 2024 NFL draft, forgoing his remaining eligibility in college football and with Penn State.
King is expected to be a potential first-round draft pick as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft, so his decision to turn pro is far from surprising. When King did not play in the Peach Bowl, his declaration for the draft was seemingly inevitable. King made the decision official with a released statement on social media on Sunday afternoon.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to forego my final year of eligibility to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL,” King said in his released statement on his social media account.
“My success, especially these last three seasons, would not have been possible without the support from Coach Franklin, Coach Terry, my Penn State teammates and my entire family,” King said. “I never could have imagined receiving this amount of support and guidance from this remarkable coaching and support staff this football program has.”
King was a four-star recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2021 and he made an immediate impact upon his arrival in the spring of 2021. King dazzled from the start with his debut in his first spring scrimmage in 2021. He eventually went on to be recognized as one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten and the nation by earning multiple all-American honors and All-Big Ten honors the past couple of seasons.
Penn State, Thank You. đź’™ pic.twitter.com/Zmhx6Eqkgi
— Kalen King (@KalenKing21__) December 31, 2023
King appeared in 34 total games for Penn State since his freshman season in 2021. In that span, King recorded 58 solo tackles and 80 total tackles with 3 interceptions (all 3 coming in 2022).
King is the latest Penn State player to declare for the draft with eligibility remaining. He joins defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag], and cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] from the defensive side of the roster and offensive linemen [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag], and tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] in declaring early.
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