Penn State safety KJ Winston was recognized by the Big Ten Monday afternoon.
Now, he’s been recognized nationally.
Less than 24 hours after the conference named him its Defensive Player of the Week, the Maxwell Club named him its Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week.
In Penn State’s 34-12 win Week 1 win at West Virginia, the junior defensive back from Columbia, Maryland, recorded 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Winston stripped WVU quarterback Garrett Greene on a QB scramble in the first quarter, but the Mountaineers recovered. A few plays later, Winston stopped Greene short of the sticks on 4th and 1 inside the 20 and forced a turnover on downs.
His 12 tackles tied a career-high set against Michigan last season but set a new career-best record with seven solo tackles. His strong tackling and physicality were on full display. It’s apparent from the opening drive on that Winston, like quarterback Drew Allar, is playing with swagger and confidence after starting all 13 games last season.
Winston and fellow safety Jaylen Reed combined for 21 tackles. Penn State dubbed Reed its Defensive Player of the Game Sunday. An All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2023, Winston asserted himself in run defense and coverage snaps around the box and downfield.
“He’s a man, he really is,” Franklin said of Winston during fall camp.
“He’s so mature, he really knows how to practice, how to prepare. He’s totally locked in, totally focused. Football is really important to him.
“I don’t have enough adjectives for him,” Franklin added.
“You look at him, physically, he’s beautiful. He’s got a great relationship with the coaches. He’s kind of an extension of the coaching staff, I could go on and on and on.”
