James Franklin didn’t have much of a break over Penn State’s bye week. He coached, recruited and also visited one of his most dynamic players, who’s been injured for over a month. Kevin Winston Jr., a team captain and one of the NFL Draft’s most coveted safeties, met with Franklin and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter this past Wednesday.
Winston’s injury, which was sustained against Bowling Green on Sept. 7, is still categorized as “long-term,” Franklin said Monday. With the potential for a lengthier season, given the prospect of a College Football Playoff appearance, Franklin hasn’t denoted whether Winston’s injury is season-ending, per se. So will he rejoin the program in 2024?
“We are hoping for him to have a more significant impact in terms of leadership, in terms of all those other things. But right now, KJ’s focus is on getting healthy,” Franklin said. “… He’s a huge part of our program, will continue to be a huge part of our program. But obviously, based on some of the things that he was working through from a health perspective, his focus was on that.”
Winston was a projected first-round draft prospect prior to his injury. His lone complete game in 2024 earned him a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor after tallying 12 tackles and a forced fumble in a 34-12 season-opening victory at West Virginia on Aug. 31. Winston led the Nittany Lions with 71 tackles in 2023.
His absence has shaken up a safety corps that was already thin on depth. Jaylen Reed, who planned to play nickel corner this season, replaced Winston and joined fellow starter Zakee Wheatley at safety. Reed has since become a leading star for the defense, and was one of two Penn State players named to the AP Midseason All-American team.
“I think (Reed’s) playing really well. And he’s not just a guy that plays really well himself, but he impacts others,” Franklin said. “You watch him out there, running the defense, communicating checks. He just does a phenomenal job when it comes to the sideline, the information he’s able to give us is extremely valuable, but playing very, very well.”
Now, Reed is the Nittany Lions’ leading tackler. He’s already up to a team-high 39 tackles, and has added three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
“Typically, you don’t want to be in a situation where your safety is leading in tackles. But as we know, he hasn’t really just played a traditional safety role. He’s played the outside linebacker position, as well,” Franklin said. “I’d like to see us get back to doing that.”
As good as Reed’s been at safety, Franklin’s goal is ultimately to return him to nickel corner this season. That would mean getting true freshman safety Dejuan Lane up to a consistent speed that he’s able to start alongside Wheatley. Lane has tallied six tackles and appeared in all six games this season, burning his redshirt.
Tom Allen, the team’s defensive coordinator, noted last Wednesday that Lane has the “length, he’s got speed, he’s got all the tricks, he’s got great range.” Lane’s potential uptick in playing time surrounds his ability to learn the defense, as well as study and prepare, Allen said.
“He’s a very talented player, but he’s a true freshman, and so he’s getting closer and closer to being ready to play a high number of snaps,” Allen said. “So even this week, it’s been a big focus on him getting more and more reps and continuing to grow himself and so on. … I think he’s going to be a tremendous player for us, and he’s gonna help us win games here down the stretch.”
