Even two consecutive losing seasons apparently weren't enough to deter one of the nation's best high school football players from making Penn State his college choice.

Justin King, a high school senior from Monroeville, announced his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions last night at Gateway High School. King selected Penn State over his other three finalists: University of Michigan, University of Florida and Ohio State University.

King, who is widely regarded as the top high school cornerback in the country, said he plans to graduate high school early and enroll at Penn State in January for the spring semester, making him eligible to participate in spring practice with the rest of the team.

King said he picked Penn State because it gave him the opportunity to do something he couldn't have done at most other schools.

"It's a great opportunity to rebuild a program, just like we did right here at Gateway," said King, who was tabbed by the recruiting service Rivals.com as the ninth-best player in the country. "Three or four years ago, we went 2-9, and now we're 11-1 and playing for a championship."

Tom Bradley recruited King for Penn State, and King said the Penn State defensive coordinator would routinely mail him dozens of hand-written notes a day.

"When he visited Michigan, when he came home, he said he thought something was missing," said Terry Smith, King's stepfather and coach at Gateway, who played wide receiver at Penn State from 1988 to 1991. "Then, when he went to Penn State and came home, he said 'I know what was missing. It's that family-type atmosphere.' "

King has the kind of speed that the Penn State rebuilding process could desperately use. He has been clocked running the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, and the preseason high school all-American is often lauded for a "burst" that makes him a dangerous threat in the open field.

Those abilities helped King rush for 1,763 yards for 31 touchdowns as a junior and earn several accolades throughout his high school career.

In his sophomore year, King was an all-conference selection.

As a junior, King was named to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Fabulous 22 and to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Terrific 25.

This season, King was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 15 in San Antonio, Texas.