Are We Sure The Best CB In College Football Isn’t Kalen King?
There are a lot of people sipping the Kool-Aid on Kool-Aid McKinstry, and rightfully so. I get it. He has the build you look for, a lot of the tools you want, and comes from a school that generally produces top-level NFL talent at his position. However, I am not convinced. I believe there is another cornerback out there that just might be better and by the season’s end in 2023, others should agree. I am talking about Penn State’s Kalen King. Is that crazy? Let’s talk about it.
Kalen King might not have earned all the love he deserved, as he was alongside Joey Porter Jr. However, he was excellent in both man and zone coverage a year ago and has a chance to solidify himself as a top-ten caliber player playing as the top corner for the Nittany Lions. Looking at the stats from King and McKinstry from a year ago, they tell an interesting story.
- McKinstry- 35 total tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 15 passes defended, 1 INT
- King- 30 total tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INTs, 18 passes defended, 1 FF, 1 FR
Both guys show a willingness to make the tackle, but it’s the coverage stats that interest me. King had more passes defended and two more interceptions than McKinstry. The forced fumble and fumble recovery show he can thump when needs be. The passes defended are absurd. For context, Sauce Gardner had 20 in 17 games last season for the Jets. King had 18 in 13 games. Obviously, you can’t base an argument on statistics, so I will dive into his strengths.
The trait that jumped off the page for me with Kalen King is his short-area explosiveness. King has such great hips and footwork, allowing him to stop on a dime and re-direct where need be. Those hips allow him to flip position and get turned around to run upfield with ease. When pressing, he has a good punch off the line then explodes into his backpedal. He can really run well with underneath routes. King can track the ball well and has a nose to find the football while in the air. I love a corner who is a willing tackler, and King certainly is.
Kool-Aid McKinstry gets a lot of love and recognition as being the top corner in the 2024 NFL Draft class, but I think it just might be Kalen King. Penn State is starting to produce some top-end talent from their secondary, and King is going to be next in line. Don’t be shocked when he starts to get some attention as being the best cornerback in the country.
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