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Will The King Leave The Building?

When Indiana wide receiver James Hardy piled up 14 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-31 loss to Penn State in October, Penn State cornerback Justin King took the heat. The junior covered the 6-foot-7 Hardy for most of the afternoon and obviously struggled with the size differential. But don't let one Saturday afternoon fool you. Expect King to make the leap to the NFL after Penn State's bowl game later this month.

The Gateway product finished the season as a First Team All Big Ten selection and led the conference with 17 passes defended. He has defended top flight receivers all season: Hardy, Purdue's Dorien Bryant, Michigan's Mario Manningham, Illinois' Arrelious Benn and Ohio State's Brian Robiskie. He has top-flight speed-he runs a 4.3 forty-and has all the tools needed to shut down NFL receivers.

He graduated from Gateway in December of his senior season to attend Penn State early, and that was for a reason. The plan all along has been to get early playing time (done), work his way into the starting line-up (done) and become one of the top corners in the country within three seasons (done). With his checklist complete, King is off to the NFL. He is currently projected to go anywhere from the middle of the first round to early in the fourth should he leave school early. PSR expects to see him go on the first day.

The Devine One

West Virginia freshman Noel Devine had more fanfare as a high school player in Florida than most NFL players receive their entire careers. From his rough childhood to his on-again, off-again relationship with Deion Sanders, Devine was used to being in the spotlight. Playing for national championship contender West Virginia as a freshman, Devine met with plenty of success - over 500 yards rushing, four touchdowns and an amazing 9.3 yards-per-carry average.

Still, rumors persist that Devine is unhappy with his limited playing time-after all, fellow freshman Shady McCoy runs the show up the road at Pitt-and will consider transferring, perhaps to his home state of Florida, where Bobby Bowden's Seminoles would welcome him with open arms.

If true, it would not be a wise move for Devine. We don't see it as a wise move for him to sit out the necessary year if he were to transfer. Plus, Steve Slaton is likely headed to the NFL this coming spring and that starting job is all his. With Pat White returning at quarterback, a backfield of White and Devine might even be better than the current White-Slaton pairing.

If there no is no basis in fact to the rumors, well, welcome to life as Noel Devine, who seems to create controversy even when there is none.