Penn State Football: Three bold predictions for August

1. Kobe King wins the middle linebacker job

Penn State football needs to replace middle linebacker Ellis Brooks, who is off to the NFL.

The two options are two youngsters in redshirt sophomore Tyler Elsdon and redshirt freshman Kobe King.

Both saw limited action last season, with Brooks playing and starting all 12 regular season games. When Brooks skipped the Outback Bowl, Jesse Luketa moved from defensive end to middle linebacker for the game.

There is not a lot of experience at linebacker left on the roster.

With that said, this battle is on equal footing despite King being a year younger than Elsdon.

While there’s a pretty good chance this ends up being a rotation, the middle linebacker spot is often considered the quarterback of the defense, so consistency is key at the position.

King has received high praise from the coaching staff in the past. Back in December of 2020, when King signed with Penn State, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith referred to King as a future captain type of player.

If the staff still believes in his leadership abilities, and he performs well during camp, it’s easy to see him being the starting middle linebacker when the Nittany Lions travel to Purdue on Sept. 2.