Penn State Football: three potential breakout candidates on defense
By Nick Kreiser
Penn State Football saw numerous defensive players from 2021 depart for the NFL, which means there are plenty of opportunities for some breakout campaigns for some individuals who will see increased rolls in the upcoming season.
A few days ago, we took a look at some potential breakout candidates on offense, and today, we’ll do the same for the defense.
The following are three players who will be starters for this Penn State Football defense, and all three have a chance to make a name for themselves with a breakout season in 2022.
*Just like with the offense, we will only be looking at players who were with the program last year, not any true freshmen or transfers.
Penn State Football cornerback – Kalen King
If you polled the entire Penn State fanbase and asked them to choose one player from this year’s defense that will turn heads with a breakout season, I would bet an overwhelming majority would go with Kalen King.
King was a solid role player on one of the best secondaries in Penn State history last year as a true freshman. The corner from Detroit appeared in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, accumulating five pass deflections, 21 total tackles (including a tackle for loss), and a forced fumble.
Now, as a sophomore, King will step into the starting lineup with the departure of Tariq Castro-Fields, where he will be a key part of the defensive backfield and has the potential to develop into one of the better cornerbacks in the conference.
Even prior to last season, Howard Griffith of the Big Ten Network said that he believes King has “All-Big Ten or even All-American type talent”. That was some lofty praise for someone who, at the time, hadn’t even played a single down of college football.
This year, though, the young cornerback has a chance to begin trying to prove those statements to be true.
He will certainly face some tough tests throughout the year, but look for Kalen King to have a great season for the Nittany Lions, helping to lead this secondary to once again be among the best in the Big Ten.