Kobe King
| No. 41 – Minnesota Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 28, 2003 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cass Tech (Detroit) |
| College: | Penn State (2021–2024) |
| NFL draft: | 2025: 6th round, 201st pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Kobe Laron King (born January 28, 2003) is an American professional football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life and high school
[edit]
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
[edit]
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
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-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 s | 1.57 s | 2.70 s | 4.26 s | 7.21 s | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
26 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[6][7][8] | ||||||||||||
King was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 201st overall pick of the sixth round in the 2025 NFL draft.[9]
Personal life
[edit]King has a twin brother, Kalen, who is a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Purcell, Jared. "Detroit twins Kobe and Kalen King pull prank and commit to Penn State football". MLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Flounders, Bob. "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.
- ^ Flounders, Bob. "Penn State's King brothers, Kalen and Kobe, will be leaders on the Lions' 2023 defense". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Flounders, Bob. "Penn State veteran linebacker Kobe King on Tony Rojas' progress, Dan Connor's impact, more". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c Ralph, Max. "Penn State defensive captain to enter NFL Draft, forgo final college season". PennLive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Kobe King Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ "Kobe King College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Penn State Football Pro Day Results". GoPSUSports.com. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ Peters, Craig; Young, Lindsey. "Sixth Round: Vikings Select LB Kobe King & TE Gavin Bartholomew in 2025 NFL Draft". Vikings.com. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ Snyder, Audrey. "Penn State's Kalen and Kobe King grew up idolizing Michigan. Can they stop the Wolverines?". The Athletic. Retrieved January 19, 2025.