Tag: Kevin Winston Jr.

Where does ESPN rank Penn State’s 2022 recruiting class three years later?

Where would Penn State’s Class of 2022 rank if evaluated today?

Penn State had its best run at a National Championship in two decades this season, making it to the playoff semifinals before falling short against Notre Dame. Like most teams even in the new NIL landscape of college football, their success can be primarily attributed to excellent recruiting classes over the last few seasons.

Coach James Franklin has been criticized for many things during his tenure, but one thing nobody can say is that he isn’t a phenomenal recruiter. His classes have ranked inside the top 20 every season since 2015 according to 247Sports. That consistent success in recruiting has led to six double-digit win seasons during his time as head coach.

Of all his great classes, the 2022 class has been the lynchpin of their most successful stretch in decades. ESPN’s Craig Haubert recently looked back at the 2022 class and reranked them, listing Penn State’s class as the second-best in the country. Only fellow Big Ten powerhouse Michigan ranks above them on his list.

The class makes up most of Penn State’s best players from this past season. Quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], running backs [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag], defensive ends [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and Dani Dennis-Sutton, safety [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag], and offensive linemen Drew Shelton and Vega Ioane are some impact players from a stacked group. That’s without factoring in transfers Chop Robinson, Hunter Nourzad, and Mitchell Tinsley, all of whom are currently in or at some point made the NFL.

Other contributors like corner Cam Miller, QB Beau Pribula, defensive lineman Zane Durant, and receiver Omari Evans round out a tremendous class. Not every player was able to make a huge impact, but several home run signings have elevated the program to the heights they are enjoying now.

With Allar, Singleton, Allen, Dennis-Sutton, Shelton, and others returning for 2025, the 2022 class still has time to add even more to their already impressive resume. With some believing that Penn State could be the top team in the country next season, a National Championship could be what makes this class one of the best to ever come through Happy Valley.

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Top 10 moments from Penn State’s 2024 season: Season-opening win at West Virginia (No. 9)

Penn State’s season-opening win at West Virginia was a firm suggestion the 2024 season would be different.

With Penn State’s football season now officially in the books, now is a good time to start putting the whole season into perspective. Although the season ended with the Nittany Lions coming up just short of playing for a national championship, there were a lot of good moments to reflect on positively from the 2024 season that ended with a final record of 13-3. The shortcomings are well documented, but the highlights of the year should not be forgotten.

Penn State came into the 2024 season expected to be among the top teams in the nation with a very good chance to play in the College Football Playoff. But after a 2023 season saw Penn State once again lose all of its marquee games against Ohio State and Michigan in the regular season and against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, some felt a top-10 ranking was probably a tad optimistic for the Nittany Lions coming into the season. So right off the bat, Penn State was on a mission to prove it was worthy of the preseason hype.

The first test was expected to be a decent one with a road opener at West Virginia, the second game in a home-and-home series. Penn State won a fun game the year before at home to open up the 2023 season, but as we soon would learn, Penn State was clearly on a different level than West Virginia in 2024.

After a scoreless first quarter, the new big play offense came to life under new offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag]. On the first play of the second quarter, [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] connected for a 50-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] to open the scoring and cap a quick four-play, 84-yard drive. Penn State extended its lead five minutes later with [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] hauling in a pass from Allar for a 20-yard touchdown. West Virginia chipped away with a couple of field goals, but Penn State showed right in the first game of the season it was not going to be a team that would let time go to waste. If there was any shot at putting points on the scoreboard late in the half, they were going to go for it.

With 30 seconds remaining in the half after West Virginia’s second field goal, Penn State looked like it would simply run the clock out when [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] was stuffed for no gain on the first play of the drive. But then Allar hurried the offense to the line and completed a pass to [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] for a 55-yard gain to the West Virginia 18-yard line, seemingly leaving West Virginia’s defense scrambling and confused about what happened. Following a timeout, Allar again connected with Wallace for a touchdown, this time from 18 yards out. The quick score was a sign of things to come for Penn State, for better or worse, but showed the new-look offense was ready to achieve big things under Kotelnecki.

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Singleton did start his season on a big note with a 100-yard game right out of the gates after having to wait until the final game of the regular season in 2023 to finally break the century mark.

Penn State’s defense was also locked in. [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag] led the team with 12 tackles before his season unfortunately was cut short due to an injury the following week. [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] and [autotag]Zane Durant[/autotag] each had 1.5 sacks. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] was limited to just one tackle in his first game at his new position on the edge, but he would clearly have an impact all season long. Penn State forced three West Virginia turnovers and the Nittany Lion faithful took over Milan Puskar Stadium in the first game of the season.

Penn State opened the 2024 season with a well-earned 34-12 victory over West Virginia that was as dominant as the final score would suggest. And Penn State was just getting started. A game that could have been tricker than most expected proved to be just a good opening exercise for a Penn State team that was built like a playoff contender.

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Chiefs scouting report: Penn State Nittany Lions DB Kevin Winston Jr.

Penn State Nittany Lions safety Kevin Winston Jr. should be on the Kansas City #Chiefs’ radar in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs turned over their safety room in the past few drafts. The team must continue adding talent through the 2025 NFL draft to replace free agent Justin Reid. The Penn State Nittany Lions have two safeties that should attract the Chiefs, including Kevin Winston Jr.

Winston missed most of the 2024 season with a partially torn ACL, but the junior’s confidence in the buzz he received from NFL teams and the media this past summer propelled him to declare for the draft. He enters the process with only one season of starting tape.

Winston’s size and versatility had analysts salivating over the summer, with some projecting him as a late first-round selection. He’s a large 6’2″, 208 lb. safety with excellent arm length. Penn State asked him to play single-high free safety in Cover 3, two-high safety in Cover 4, drop down as a robber, soft-shoe press against tight ends, some nickel defender in Cover 1 and step down into the box behind mugged-up linebackers.

Winston lacks true sideline-to-sideline range but still covers significant ground for a prospect with his size. Penn State asked him to rotate post-snap, which helped the defense disguise its coverage and fool quarterbacks.

Winston is an instinctive defender who anticipates throws at the defense’s second and third levels. He needs to trust his instincts more often and trigger on these routes earlier to generate more turnovers. Winston’s closing burst makes him a threat to undercut receivers on deep routes or make stops against short routes for little gain.

Winston’s willingness to play the run makes him a viable box player. He quickly triggers downhill but takes steep angles that create running lanes. Fortunately, Winston’s recovery speed helps him catch up to ball carriers when he finds himself in a trail position. He’s a wrap-up tackler who rarely misses his target.

Penn State safety KJ Winston Jr. declares for NFL draft

Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. has played his last game in a Penn State uniform.

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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Penn State vs. Ohio State injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 10

All the latest updates and news on Penn State’s injury report ahead of a Week 10 game vs. Ohio State.

Penn State hosts Ohio State in one of the games of the year in the Big Ten. But the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes each are coming into the week with some notable injury concerns after last week. Penn State lost key players in the first half of last week’s win at Wisconsin when quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] each left in the second half of the game. Ohio State is battling some offensive line concerns after getting a little banged up last week in a win against Nebraska.

Penn State and Ohio State kick off today’s game at noon Eastern on Fox. Penn State is a slight underdog at home and does not have history on its side in this series. If Penn State is going to pick up a win, then it will need to be as close to full strength as possible.

Here is a look at the player availability reports for both teams for today’s big game in Happy Valley. (Player availability reports are released two hours prior to kickoff, so this post will be updated accordingly once that information is available).

Penn State player availability report

QUESTIONABLE

  • Dani Dennis-Sutton
  • [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag]

OUT

  • [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Quinton Martin Jr.[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Cam Wallace[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Keon Wylie[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Zuriah Fisher[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Andrew Rappleyea[/autotag]

Ohio State player availability report

OUT

  • TC Caffey (season)
  • Josh Simmons (season)
  • Zen Michalski
  • Reis Stocksdales
  • Will Kacmarek

Drew Allar injury update

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar left last week’s game at Wisconsin at the end of the first half with an apparent knee injury. After warming up for the second half, Allar did not play after halftime, giving way to backup quarterback Beau Pribula. Allar was seen practicing with the team this week and is expected to play and start for the Nittany Lions on Saturday.

Dani Dennis-Sutton injury update

Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton left last week’s game early in the second half with a reported groin injury. Dennis-Sutotn was taken out of the game late in the first half and did try playing at the start of the second half, but he was removed quickly in the second half as a caution. Head coach James Franklin said this week he would be a game-time decision.

Nicholas Singleton questionable for Penn State vs. UCLA

Penn State’s top offensive player listed as questionable vs. UCLA.

Penn State running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] is off to a solid start to the 2024 season, but how much he is used on Saturday afternoon as Penn State hosts UCLA remains to be determined.  Singleton was officially listed as questionable on the Penn State player availability report, which was released a couple of hours prior to kickoff.

Big Ten teams are required to release a player availability report for their respective games no less than two hours before game time. Penn State and UCLA had some extensive reports to share leading up to their noon Eastern kickoff. Singleton being listed as questionable was the biggest headline for Penn State, although the latest report confirms safety [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag] remains out.

UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers is listed as questionable, which is notable for the Bruins. UCLA’s quarterback has thrown twice as many interceptions as he has touchdowns this season, and he has been roughed up a bit in the past couple of weeks against Oregon and Indiana. If things go sour, could a quarterback change be in the works for the Bruins, potentially mixing things up against Penn State’s defense?

Here is a look at the updated player availability reports for Penn State and UCLA ahead of today’s afternoon game.

OUT – PENN STATE

  • Kevin Winston Jr.
  • Kaden Saunders
  • Jaxon Smolik
  • Cam Wallace
  • Kari Jackson
  • Keon Wylie
  • Zuriah Fisher
  • Mason Robinson
  • Jaylen Harvey
  • Donte Nastasi
  • Ethan Black
  • Peter Gonzalez
  • Andrew Rappleyea
  • Sam Siafa
  • Liam Andrews
  • T.A. Cunningham

QUESTIONABLE – PENN STATE

  • Nicholas Singleton

And here is a look at the UCLA player availability report for this afternoon.

OUT – UCLA

  • Donavan Pellot
  • Kanye Clark
  • Titus Atimalala
  • Dermaricus Davis
  • Braden Pagen
  • D.J. Justice
  • Jonathan Vaughns
  • Deshun Murrell
  • Troy Leigber
  • Tre Edwards
  • Joquarri Price
  • Jordan Abarca
  • Gary Smith
  • Oluwafunto Akinshilo
  • Reuben Unije
  • MarquiseThorpe-Taylor
  • Hudson Habermehl
  • Keanu Williams

QUESTIONABLE – UCLA

  • Rick Flores
  • Ale Kaho
  • Ethan Garbers
  • Croix Stewart
  • Travis Drosos
  • Jack Clarke
  • Jaylan Jeffers
  • Sam Summa
  • Jacob Busic

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Penn State player availability report for Kent State updated

Penn State has posted its player availability report for today’s game against Kent State.

Penn State will be without one of its top defensive players on the roster this weekend when the Nittany Lions host Kent State for a mid-Saturday afternoon non-conference matchup. Head coach James Franklin announced this week that the team will be without safety, Kevin Winston Jr., for an extended period of time due to a long-term injury. This week’s player availability confirmed that for this week with Winston Jr. being among the players officially ruled out on the Penn State player availability report.

Big Ten teams are required to provide a player availability report prior to their respective games each week as part of a new conference policy put into place for the 2023 season.

The following players were listed as out for Penn State for the Kent State game.

  • [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Kari Jackson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Keon Wylie[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Zuriah Fisher[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mason Robinson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mehki Flowers[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Andrew Rappleyea[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Sam Siafa[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag]
  • [autotag]De’Andre Cook[/autotag]
  • [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag]

Penn State hosts Kent State at 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

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Kevin Winston Jr. sidelined with ‘long-term injury’

Penn State is expected to be without one of its top defensive players for an extended period of time.

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.

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Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week

Penn State safety named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his impressive performance against West Virginia

It was quite the first game for Penn State who defeated West Virginia 34-12, Saturday afternoon. One of the stars of the contest was Nittany Lions’ safety[autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag] who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Mountaineers.

Winston had a career-high 12 tackles helping No. 9 Penn State to the win. It was his first career Big Ten weekly award and he became the first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week since Ji’Ayir Brown on September 19, 2022.

Saturday marked the Columbia, Md. native’s third career game with double-digit tackles and his first career forced fumble. Through one week, Winston ranks 16th in the nation in tackles (12) and 22nd in solo tackles.

His play helped Penn State hold WVU to only 85 rushing yards and 161 passing yards. The Penn State safety was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List this preseason given annually  to the best defensive player in the country.

Penn State will host Bowling Green this Saturday with kickoff set for noon on the Big Ten Network.

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Penn State defensive MVP predictions for 2024

Our staff makes their picks for Penn State’s defensive MVP in 2024.

Penn State’s offense may be the bigger question for the Nittany Lions this season, but the defense has a few things to figure out this season as well. After the departure of Manny Diaz to be a head coach at Duke, Penn State brought in former Indiana head coach Tom Allen to take over as defensive coordinator. Allen’s reputation as a defensive mind is well-regarded, and he has some good players to work with this season.

Allen has a defense that sees a key player make a notable position change, a rising star at linebacker, and another stud in the making in the secondary to carry on Penn State’s recent line of success in the defensive backfield.

Here are our predictions for Penn State’s defensive MVP in 2024.

Brad Wakai: Tony Rojas

While all the attention is on Abdul Carter moving to edge rusher, it’s going to be tackling machine Tony Rojas who racks up stats and stops the run, allowing Penn State’s pass rushers to wreak havoc like they have done so often.

Charlie Strella: Tony Rojas

The smart pick is Abdul Carter and he rightfully is the best player on PSU’s defense, but this is “Linebacker U” after all so I’m going with the up and coming sophomore Tony Rojas. The next NFL caliber linebacker to come out of Happy Valley. He very well could end up leading the team in tackles and is already emerging as a leader of defense.

Shayne Kubas: Kevin Winston Jr

It’s tempting to go with the explosive Abdul Carter with this pick, but nobody was more consistent on Penn State’s defense last season than Kevin Winston Jr. He is the glue that should keep a new-look secondary together, and there could be a potential top-50 NFL draft pick with his name on it next April.

Kevin McGuire: Abdul Carter

So nobody wants to take Abdul Carter? Then I suppose I will!

The move from linebacker to the edge of the line is a fascinating one and I do believe it will lead to Carter being one of the top edge rusher sin the Big Ten. The explosiveness I expect Carter to bring to the line will create some huge plays in the backfield this season and just his presence alone up front will help others on the line make some plays as well. I think we are in for a monster season from Carter.

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