Penn State will be without one of its top overall players for the foreseeable future. Kevin Winston Jr., the team’s standout safety and a defensive captain, will be out with a “long-term” injury, James Franklin said on Wednesday.
Winston was injured early into the second quarter of the Nittany Lions’ 34-27 win against Bowling Green on Sept. 7.
Franklin said Winston, who was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week after Penn State’s season-opening win at West Virginia, will still be “heavily involved” with the program over the course of his absence.
However, his injury does shake up an already thin safety room that lost rising star King Mack to Alabama this offseason and has been looking for depth aside from Winston, fellow starters Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley and true freshman Dejuan Lane. No matter who steps up, it’ll be difficult to replace the on-field impact of Winston, who’s been widely viewed as a high-profile NFL Draft prospect.
“We feel fortunate that we got two guys that have played a ton of football for us and played at a really, really high level,” Franklin said. “But we’re going to have to develop more depth as this thing goes on.”
Reed excelled as the team’s primary nickel corner, a position coined the ‘Lion’ by new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. But with Winston injured, Reed will likely revert back to his traditional safety position, where he played when Winston exited against the Falcons.
“It was a great position for (Reed), but we may not have the flexibility to be able to do it,” Franklin said. “I think early on, you’ll probably see him high. But hopefully as Dae Dae and others start to come on, and hopefully as the year goes on, we can move him back into that spot, but we’ll see.”
As Reed transitions back to safety, cornerback Cam Miller should expect increased reps at nickel. Miller moved to that spot after Winston’s injury pushed Reed to safety and he tallied five tackles. Miller told reporters on Wednesday he’s “very comfortable playing any position on the field.”
Wheatley, who enjoyed a breakout offseason, should continue to occupy the second starting safety spot. He caught an interception in the fourth quarter against Bowling Green, a promising sign for a defensive back room that could use all the help it can get.
“I think we’ve always had a lot of confidence in him, and he continues to get better. Obviously his role, just like we’re talking about these other guys, is going to dramatically increase,” Franklin said.
Lane is an obvious candidate for an increased role, especially having already played in both games. But after him, it’s a bit unclear who will step up. Redshirt senior Tyrece Mills, redshirt freshman Lamont Payne Jr., redshirt sophomore Kolin Dinkins and true freshman Vaboue Toure could all see time with Winston sidelined.
Franklin also said that he will give true freshman cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter a look at safety.
“I think we’ve talked a decent amount about Dae Dae Lane, so that’ll have a huge impact on him and the reps that he’s getting and where he’s at, and then we’re trying to kind of figure out that next guy right now,” Franklin said.
