SI All-American Candidate Kobe King Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Kobe King
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 223 pounds
Position: Linebacker
School: Detroit (Mich.) Cass Technical
Committed to: Penn State
Projected Position: Linebacker
Frame: Absolutely yoked. Thick, defined muscle from top to bottom. Average shoulder and chest width. Long, chiseled arms. Big, tightly-wound thighs and trunk taper to carved-up calves. Some room for additional weight, but doesn’t need much.
Athleticism: Good speed. Presses line of scrimmage with burst. Moves well laterally, rarely crossing feet. Not especially explosive converting speed to power or getting out of cuts. Clear functional play strength; arrives with power as tackler and can take on lineman. Takes contact and maintains balance.
Instincts: Loves attacking downhill. Shows patience scraping to ball when necessary, shuffling feet as play develops. Rarely loses to linemen at point of attack; can meet power with power before shedding. Good awareness in screen game.
Polish: Sound tackler. Plays with naturally low base, aiding quickness and power. Assignment-sound player. Lacks natural sense of timing as blitzer. Comfortable as QB spy or covering the middle of the field, but lacks experience dropping into coverage.
Bottom Line: King looks like Penn State’s next great linebacker right now, with a cut-up body that would make most college veterans jealous. He’s not quite the prospect his physique suggests, lacking speed and versatility. Regardless, he’ll be a multi-year contributor for Penn State at worst, likely starting as an upperclassman.