Checkmate for Justin King

The last time this much buzz was generated by a major commitment from a Pennsylvania prospect, Kevin Jones announced that he was going to Virginia Tech instead of Penn State.

This time around Penn State comes away feeling good as the nation’s No. 9 player announced seconds ago in a news conference at his high school that he’s heading to play football for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State has snagged a major commitment from the nation’s No. 9 player, Justin King of Pittsburgh Gateway. King selected the Lions over offers from Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, Miami, Pittsburgh and Southern Cal. But in the end as many expected it to be, King selected the Lions over Big 10 rival Michigan.

King, a five-star prospect, is ranked as the top cornerback in the nation and is a significant pick up for the Lions. His pledge could also go a long way toward helping PSU land running back Lydell Sargeant and could even play a role in Derrick Williams’ fate. Williams is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 player in the country by Rivals.com.

King plans to graduate in December and enroll at Penn State for the second semester in January. He will play in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship Saturday at against Central Catholic.

For more coverage of King’s decision check out BlueWhiteIllustrated.com.