Kobe King

Last updated

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Kobe King
No. 45 – New York Jets
Position Linebacker
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2003-01-28) January 28, 2003 (age 22)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school Cass Tech (Detroit)
College Penn State (2021–2024)
NFL draft 2025: 6th round, 201st overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2025
Total tackles 4
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kobe Laron King (born January 28, 2003) is an American professional football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life and high school

King attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. [1] He was rated as a three-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions over schools such as Michigan and Iowa. [1]

College career

As a freshman in 2021 King tallied three tackles for the Nittany Lions. [2] In 2022, he recorded 41 tackles with four being for a loss, three pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown. [3] In 2023, King made 11 starts for Penn State, where he notched 59 tackles with six being for a loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery. [4] Heading into the 2024 season, he was named a team captain. [5] In 2024, King started all 16 games for the Nittany Lions, where he totaled 97 tackles with eight and a half for a loss, and three sacks, earning second-team all-Big Ten Conference honors. [5] After the season, he declared for the 2025 NFL draft. [5]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+3⁄4 in
(1.85 m)		236 lb
(107 kg)		31+1⁄4 in
(0.79 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		4.63 s1.57 s2.70 s4.26 s7.21 s9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)		26 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [6] [7] [8]

Minnesota Vikings

King was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 201st overall pick of the sixth round in the 2025 NFL draft. [9] King was waived on October 23, 2025 after playing 77 snaps on special teams and only three snaps on defense in his five games. [10] [11]

New York Jets

On October 24, 2025, King was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets. [12]

Personal life

King has a twin brother, Kalen, who is a cornerback for the Carolina Panthers. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 Purcell, Jared (April 10, 2020). "Detroit twins Kobe and Kalen King pull prank and commit to Penn State football". MLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  2. ↑ Flounders, Bob (February 9, 2022). "Penn State's King brothers are a big part of the Lions' future, and Kalen King's off to a great start". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  3. ↑ Flounders, Bob (February 2023). "Penn State's King brothers, Kalen and Kobe, will be leaders on the Lions' 2023 defense". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  4. ↑ Flounders, Bob (August 13, 2024). "Penn State veteran linebacker Kobe King on Tony Rojas' progress, Dan Connor's impact, more". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Ralph, Max (January 14, 2025). "Penn State defensive captain to enter NFL Draft, forgo final college season". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Kobe King Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Kobe King College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  8. ↑ "2025 Penn State Football Pro Day Results". GoPSUSports.com. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ Peters, Craig; Young, Lindsey. "Sixth Round: Vikings Select LB Kobe King & TE Gavin Bartholomew in 2025 NFL Draft". Vikings.com. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  10. ↑ Peters, Craig (October 23, 2025). "Vikings Activate RB Aaron Jones Sr. from IR for Week 8 at Chargers". Vikings.com. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Vikings activate RB Aaron Jones ahead of Chargers game". espn.com. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  12. ↑ Weir, Susanna. "Jets Claim LB Kobe King". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  13. ↑ Snyder, Audrey (November 8, 2023). "Penn State's Kalen and Kobe King grew up idolizing Michigan. Can they stop the Wolverines?". The Athletic. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
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