BREAKING: Rivals250 LB Ken Talley commits to Penn State

Philadelphia native Ken Talley announced Tuesday that he was committing to Penn State.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Talley primarily played defensive end last season at Northeast High School, but he's expected to play the SAM outside linebacker position for the Nittany Lions. His recruitment came down to Penn State, Arizona State and Tennessee.

“Obviously, I’m real close with Coach [Deion] Barnes,” Talley said. “I think everyone knows that I’m real close with Deion. He’s like family."

Talley went on to add, “I already liked Penn State a lot, so having him up there only helps everything. He’s been taking me up there for years. Before he was part of their staff, he already showed me where to eat up there and some other things around the town. I learned a lot about Penn State from him.”

In addition to Barnes, Talley has also become comfortable with regional recruiter Terry Smith and defensive coordinator/linebacker coach Brent Pry.

“I like Coach Pry. He’s a cool dude. Honestly, they’re all real cool,” Talley said. “One thing about their coaches is that we talk about so many other things than just football. I like it. I feel like I get to know them, but he’s a real good coach, too.”

Last summer, Talley ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at Penn State's Elite Prospect Camp. He also had a 4.41-second shuttle. He then returned to State College for two more visits, attending the season opener against Idaho last August and the win over Michigan in October.

"Before you even get into the game you felt it," Talley said, referring to last year's Whiteout experience at Beaver Stadium. "You heard the noise walking in there and then you just felt it. When you get in and see everyone wearing white, it’s crazy. I remember we had some fans yelling our names and wanting to take pictures. It was crazy. It was fun.”

Aside from Penn State, Talley was also able to visit Pitt, Rutgers, Tennessee and Virginia before COVID-19 forced the NCAA to enact a dead period. Michigan, Rutgers, Texas A&M and West Virginia were a few other schools that stood out and made his top seven, which he announced back on Aug. 15.

With the addition of Talley, Penn State now has six commitments in its Class of 2022, all of whom have committed in the past month-and-a-half. At No. 169 overall, he's the fourth Rivals250 prospect, joining OL Drew Shelton (No. 110), WR Kaden Saunders (No. 192) and TE Jerry Cross (No. 248). The Nittany Lions also have two three-star prospects that should earn serious consideration for a fourth star in QB Beau Pribula and TE Holden Staes.

*******

• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated

• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98

• Like us on Facebook