Twin Brothers Kalen & Kobe King Commit to Penn State

Penn State picked up commitments No. 5 and 6 Friday afternoon when twin brothers Kalen and Kobe King joined the Nittany Lions' Class of 2021.

Following breakout sophomore seasons at one of Detroit's top programs, Cass Tech, the brothers arrived on Penn State's radar in early 2019. Kalen earned his scholarship that April and Kobe wasn't far behind, picking up his offer just two months later. By then, the brothers had already visited University Park once, attending last year's Blue-White Game.

"When we came up for that first visit, we knew then that Penn State was a school we really liked," said Kalen King. "Just seeing all the fans was real cool. They have the best fans there. We had a good time on that visit, but it was also still early for us. But then, when we came for that second visit, that's when I knew that Penn State was probably the one."

That second visit took place back on Jan. 18. Kalen didn't hide his thoughts at the time, saying the following day that Penn State "might be number one for me." It ended up being the second-to-last visit the brothers took, as Michigan hosted the twins the following weekend, Jan. 25.

In the end, their decision came down to Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin.

"I think at one point, Kobe may have been leaning towards Wisconsin more and I was leaning towards Penn State," said Kalen King. "But after we took that second visit to Penn State, we were both on the same page. Penn State was the team to beat then."

Like so many players that have come to Penn State from Michigan and the greater Detroit area, safeties coach Tim Banks had a major impact on their commitment. Kalen said that having a coach on staff that grew up in the same city made him feel comfortable with his pick.

"Coach Banks is from Detroit, so having him up there is like having another family member up there," Kalen King said. "Having someone like him there, someone that I can go to, someone that's from the same city and grew up like me, that's important to me.

"But ever since I visited Penn State and I saw the atmosphere they have up there, they were my school. Coach [James] Franklin is the man. I love Coach Franklin. He's real cool and is close with his guys. It's just the best place for both of us."

Kobe had much of the same to say about Banks and Franklin. In addition to those two, he's also become close with defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Pry.

"Coach Pry is a great coach. He has a great history of developing linebackers," said Kobe King. "He's just all about defense. He loves it and that's why he's [a good defensive coordinator.] But I just feel like I can excel in his defense, both me and my brother. But also, he's not just a great coach. He's a great person. We trust him and all their coaches."

With Kalen now committed, Penn State has two defensive backs in its Class of 2021. Safety Jaylen Reed, also from Detroit, announced his decision last night. We don't expect it to take long for the next defensive back to join, as Maryland native Zakee Wheatley is set to announce his commitment at 3 p.m. ET. All signs point to the Nittany Lions, and if all goes to plan, Banks and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith plan to sign at least five defensive backs come December.

Kobe is the first linebacker to announce his commitment to Franklin and his staff. Currently, it's believed that Penn State will sign two linebackers, and believe it or not, another Detroit prospect, Jamari Buddin, is the most likely candidate.

"Jamari is a good guy. I've known him for a long time," said Kobe King. "He actually played on my little league team for a year and then we played basketball together. We went to different high schools, but we've stayed in touch and have seen each other at different camps. We're always competing against each other. But yeah, I talk to Jamari. I'd love for him to join me and Kalen at Penn State. We're definitely going to talk to him about it."

With the addition of Kalen and Kobe, the Nittany Lions have moved up four spots to No. 16 overall. The addition of Wheatley would move them up another four spots to 12th overall with 739 points.

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