Penn State head coach James Franklin confirmed this week fans should not expect to see safety [autotag]KJ Winston Jr.[/autotag] make an appearance again in the Penn State uniform during the College Football Playoff. Franklin said Winston is still out with a long-term injury. But that isn’t stopping Winston from taking his next steps in his football journey.
Winston officially announced he is declaring for the NFL draft in 2025, thus leaving behind his college football playing days in Happy Valley for good.
“After much thought and prayer, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft,” Winston said in a post on his Instagram account. “This has been a dream for as long as I can remember, and I’m ready to embrace this next challenge with the same dedication and heart that got me to this point.”
Winston played in just two games during the 2024 season for Penn State. Winston was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in leading the Nittany Lion defense in a season-opening win at West Virginia. Little did we realize at the time that would be the height of the season for Winston, who left the Week 2 game against Bowling Green early with an injury. Winston has not been back on the field since with what Franklin has termed a long-term injury situation. Some reports have suggested that is a partial ACL tear.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports Winston had surgery but is expected to be at full speed in time for the NFL combine. That would be a huge lift for Winston, who has shown his potential as an early-round draft pick when healthy.
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