Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 71 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / D E F E N S I V E B A C K S / / / / / / / ship in the past decade, there was inter- est. But it was more about finding bodies to take the place of Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy. The standard of a room that has had three cornerbacks selected in the past two NFL drafts (Dixon went undrafted following a Senior Bowl injury and was still unsigned as of mid- July) is higher than ever. So, Penn State's decision to bring in a pair of transfer cornerbacks this offsea- son was an attempt to reload rather than rebuild. There was no guaranteed starting spot, and that was part of the appeal for former Florida Gator Jalen Kimber and former Georgia Bulldog A.J. Harris. The two cornerbacks have different stories, and more specifically, they're not close to each other on the eligibility cal- endar. Kimber will be a redshirt senior this fall with the option to take an extra year in 2025. He started 11 games for the Gators in 2023. Harris came in as a true sophomore who played in eight games last season for Kirby Smart. "Two different guys in two different sit- uations," head coach James Franklin said. "Jalen is a veteran who has played a ton of football in a really good conference. And you feel that. He's just very poised, very mature. He's a guy that I'm really excited to see this summer, because he's got a lot on his plate right now. I've been im- pressed with him. "A.J. is at a differ- ent point in his ca- reer, but he's come in and is super aggressive and super con- fident and playing really well right now. He's a physical, physical corner. I actually think he has the ability to really play all the positions: corner, nickel or safety. And both seem to be picking it up really well." 'A Perfect Fit' Both were highly regarded prospects in their respective high school classes, and both started their college careers in Athens. Kimber was rated a top-100 player by two services coming out of Mansfield Timberview High in Arlington, Texas, in the class of 2020. He played in one game as a true freshman at Georgia and missed most of the 2021 season with an injury. Seeking a fresh start ahead of the 2022 campaign, Kimber landed in Gainesville, where he developed into a starter. Now he's looking to resurrect his career after playing on one of the SEC's worst defenses. He originally planned to spend his final season at Louisville but found what he deemed to be a better situation with the Nittany Lions. "I just felt like this was a perfect fit for me," Kimber said. "Check all the boxes that I have on me. All the knocks that people think that I can't do. Individually, I just want to go out there and show people that I can play football. "I'm just really ready to go and prove people wrong, honestly. It's just that simple." Smith said Kimber "has adapted very well" to the demands of Penn State's foot- ball program. "He's a super smart kid, football IQ off the charts," the veteran PSU assistant said. "Works hard, always in the building and always trying to get more. He's a tre- mendous athlete on the field. I'm looking for him to be a major contributor for us." Harris is a bit of a different story. He headed to Georgia as part of the 2022 re- cruiting class, arriving from Central High in Phenix City, Ala., the same school that former PSU cornerback Christian Camp- bell attended. He was rated a five-star prospect by one recruiting service and got onto the field right away in Athens. With a deep room, though, Harris saw his playing time decrease as the 2023 sea- son progressed. He played in seven games and recorded 8 tackles. After the Bulldogs' 43-20 victory over Florida on Oct. 28, he didn't see the field again the rest of the season. Harris entered the transfer portal in December. Penn State's coaches had a re- lationship with him from his high school days and were among the first to reach out. "It was more so making the best de- cision for me to grow as a man and as a football player," Harris said. "I believe just off of the track record at Penn State, it has much more to offer than just the football. To grow past football, grow in the academic lane. And then you've got somebody like Coach Terry [Smith], who's developed multiple DBs. It was a no-brainer." Harris got the attention of Smith and the Penn State defensive staff with a strong spring and a standout perfor- mance in the Blue- W h i te G a m e i n April. "He's a tremen- dous kid with tre- mendous work ethic and tremendous confidence," Smith said. "He's a five-star athlete and he's got a five-star mentality. When you step out on the field, especially at corner, you have to have that confidence. He doesn't lack any of that. I'm just super happy with where those guys are. They finished spring ball super strong. Now we're looking for that summer phase to just keep taking posi- tive steps and then get into the fall and slingshot." Competition Continues Convincing transfers to jump on board is a delicate balance. With limited time remaining on their respective eligibil- Quick Facts Position coaches: Terry Smith (cornerbacks, 11th season); Anthony Poindexter (safeties, fourth season) Returning starters: S Kevin Winston Jr. (13 ca- reer starts), S Jaylen Reed (13) Departing starters: CB Kalen King (22), CB Johnny Dixon (18) Projected new starters: CB A.J. Harris or Cam Miller, CB Jalen Kimber (11, at Florida) or Au- davion Collins, S Zakee Wheatley Top reserves: CB Zion Tracy, CB Elliot Washing- ton II, S DaKaari Nelson, S Lamont Payne Jr. Newcomers: CB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, CB Jon Mitchell, CB Kenny Woseley Jr., S Dejuan Lane, S Vaboue Toure "I'm just super happy with where those guys are. They finished spring ball super strong. Now we're looking for that summer phase to just keep taking positive steps and then get into the fall and slingshot." T E R R Y S M I T H O N H A R R I S A N D K I M B E R