Just two games into the season, Penn State has lost a key defensive player for what is expected to be a significant amount of time.
During a mid-week post-practice briefing with the media this week, Penn State head coach James Franklin announced that safety [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr. [/autotag]could be out for an extended period of time due to a “long-term” injury as described by Franklin. Winston was injured early in Penn State’s Week 2 game against Bowling Green and did not return to the game.
The loss of Winston Jr. will leave a big spot to fill in the secondary. Penn State has been using Winston along with Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley in a rotation. This injury could mean more time on the field for both Wheatley and Reed until younger options like DaKaari Nelson, Lamont Payne, or Antoine Belgrave-Shorter are better prepared for a possible larger role in the defensive game planning.
There is no overstating just how significant a loss this is for Penn State. Winston Jr. was one of the nation’s top-rated safeties coming into the 2024 season and was projected by many draft experts to be an early-round draft pick, with some notable draft projections placing Winston in the first round.
It remains unclear at this time if Wonston will get back on the field this season for Penn State. If he does not, then what he decides to do in 2025 could be influenced by the conversations he has about his potential draft stock coming off an injury. But that is a decision and conversation to have after the season.
Penn State is coming off a bye week in Week 3 and will host Kent State this weekend when they return to the field. Penn State will host Kent State at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on Big Ten Network.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.