Philadelphia (Pa.) Northeast four-star edge defender Ken Talley (pictured left) says the recruiting process is going “pretty well” for him right now, though the class of 2022 prospect misses being able to hit the road and see the schools he is interested in.

“I wish I could be taking visits right now,” he told The Clemson Insider, “but the pandemic is in the way.”

Prior to the NCAA suspending all in-person recruiting due to the coronavirus, Talley had been scheduled to visit Clemson in early April as part of a Southeastern college tour with a few of his teammates.

“Before the pandemic happened, I believe my coach was setting something up for this month,” he said. “I think we were going to go to North Carolina, Clemson … We were going to visit a lot of schools down in that area. On a whole week, we were going to go down and visit schools.”

Talley is interested in Clemson, so he hopes to have another opportunity to check out the school and program in person at some point.

“I love Clemson Football,” he said. “I like that they compete for national championships, and they’ve got a pretty good squad. I look up to Isaiah Simmons. I like him. He’s a dog.”

Talley is considered a defensive end by 247Sports and an athlete by Rivals but said most schools are recruiting him as an outside linebacker. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has received 20 offers to date with schools such as Penn State, Maryland, Florida, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Baylor, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Syracuse and Arizona State comprising his list.

If the Tigers were to jump into the race with an offer in the future, Talley says they would instantly become one of the top teams in his recruitment.

“They’d be automatic top five,” he said.

Right now, Talley claims no favorites but knows what he is looking for in his eventual school of choice.

“I’m going to go to a team that can compete, that’s going to push me to my limits, a good defensive line coach and a good outside linebacker coach, and a place that feels like home,” he said.

So far, Talley has been able to visit Penn State, Tennessee, West Virginia and Rutgers. He was previously slated to visit Texas A&M and Maryland before the NCAA’s shutdown of recruiting cancelled those visits, so he wants to get to those schools at a later time and has several other trips in mind he wants to make as well.

“I’m going to go to Arizona State University, Ole Miss, Florida and Baylor,” he said.

As a sophomore last season, Talley was credited with 43 total tackles including 8.0 for loss and five sacks. He says the team that ultimately lands his commitment will get a guy who can do it all on defense.

“If they get me, they’re bringing a lot of versatility to the team because I can play anything on the field,” he said. “I can stop the run, edge rush like crazy, and I’ve got great technique. You can get a lot out of me, not just one position or one ability.”

Talley is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 120 overall prospect in the 2022 class.

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