Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1496986
M A Y 2 0 2 3 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M in Year 1, earned All-Big Ten honors in Years 2 and 3, and then came back to hone his skills one final time. He received All- America accolades in Year 4 and earned rave reviews from NFL scouts. King, on the other hand, played in all 13 contests during his true freshman season and followed up that performance by fin- ishing first in the Big Ten and third in the country with 21 pass breakups last fall, numbers that helped him earn second- team All-America honors. The accolades have continued to pile up this spring, including a preseason All-America nod from the Walter Camp Football Founda- tion. King, the twin brother of redshirt soph- omore middle linebacker Kobe King, is expected to be the leader of the Nittany Lions' secondary and perhaps the defense at large. But if you think he's resting on his laurels this offseason, think again. "It's preseason for a reason," King said. "I don't really get into predictions. It's definitely a good accolade to have to know that people are noticing the work you're putting in. "Everything I did last year is finally coming to light. So, I'm grateful for the accomplishment, but the work is defi- nitely not done. Now I have to become an All-American." No-Fly Zone King is looking to follow in the foot- steps of one of his childhood idols. He grew up trying to emulate Charles Woodson, the Heisman Trophy-winning Michigan defensive back who went on to enjoy an All-Pro career with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. King grew up wearing No. 2 because that was Woodson's number during his career with the Wolverines in the mid- 1990s. The former four-star prospect from Cass Tech switched to No. 4 at Penn State because his preferred num- ber was already taken. But that change didn't diminish his belief that playing like Woodson would take him where he wanted to go. "It was just the way he played the game," King said. "In high school, I played offense, defense and special teams. When I was in high school, I used to watch his highlights and how domi- nant he was on the defensive side and on special teams, the return game, just stuff like that. "Growing up, he was my favorite player to watch." There are kids out there now who un- doubtedly love watching King. After a big play, he'll celebrate with his teammates, bending his arms at a 90-degree angle and pointing his hands outward, which is the team's "no-fly zone" gesture. That, of course, is what King and the rest of the Penn State secondary want to be known for: not allowing opponents to pass. A year ago, the Lions finished second in the FBS in pass-efficiency defense with a 103.24 rating. Only Illinois (92.64) was better. Penn State allowed opponents to complete just 52.1 percent of their pass- ing attempts, the second-lowest rate in the Big Ten behind the Illini (51.2). This year, Porter must be replaced, and King is expected to fill his role. Else- where, seniors Johnny Dixon and Storm Duck, redshirt senior Daequan Hardy and sophomore Cam Miller, among oth- ers, will have to be up for the challenge. King must be up for it, too. He was rarely targeted in high school, but college quarterbacks were happy to challenge the young cornerback when he first ar- rived at Penn State. They continued to do so last year in order to avoid Porter. King was targeted 52 times — 24 times more often than Dixon, who was second on the team in that category. King figures to be the cornerback that opponents will be looking to avoid this year, but he will have to maximize the potential he showed last fall. In particu- lar, he must display the readiness that Porter showcased. Opponents targeted Porter infrequently, but he never allowed himself to be lulled into a false sense of security. When passes came his way, he was ready to spring into action. King will need to do likewise this fall. Competition in practice will help ensure that all goes to plan. "At that position, you have to have an edge and a great sense of urgency," defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. "Nothing creates that more than com- petition. So, whether that's the addition of Storm Duck [from North Carolina via the transfer portal], Johnny Dixon con- tinuing to get better and better, Daequan Hardy having a heck of a spring, Cam Miller coming on, the young guys are re- ally getting better and getting in there, so you just can't be comfortable. "What happened a year ago really doesn't matter," Diaz continued. "I think Kalen is taking that to heart. You watch him, and his competitive edge hasn't dropped off from where it was a year ago, and we need that. Because, obviously, we need him to be a guy. We lost a heck of a "Everything I did last year is finally coming to light. So, I'm grateful for the accomplishment, but the work is definitely not done. Now I have to become an All-American." K I N G