Penn State Football: 3 biggest winners from spring practice

1.Kalen King

One of the biggest headlines of this spring was freshman cornerback Kalen King, and the praise that head coach James Franklin heaped upon him.

In a spring press conference Franklin said King was the most advanced freshman he’s had in his time with Penn State Football, and then King went out and backed it up in the teams first open practice/scrimmage at Beaver Stadium.

The Michigan native collected two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in his Beaver Stadium debut. He has been so good this spring, that two players in the cornerback room have since switched positions.

Sophomore Keaton Ellis has been working at safety, while Marquis Wilson has been getting reps with the wide receivers as the coaching staff sees the potential of him being a playmaker with the ball in his hands.

This is the best group of corners Franklin has had in his time in Happy Valley, and King has seemingly forced his way into the two deep, even after the Nittany Lions brought in Johnny Dixon from South Carolina from the portal.

Franklin has been hesitant in the past to thrust freshman into starting roles, as even Micah Parsons only started one game his freshman season, but King may force his hand and leave him no choice but to put the freshman on the field in 2021.