One of Penn State football’s best players will be out for a while.
Coach James Franklin told reporters after practice Wednesday that safety KJ Winston has a “long-term injury.”
James Franklin said starting safety KJ Winston is dealing with a “long term” injury. pic.twitter.com/zMTFZ5am9P
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) September 18, 2024
This is a crushing blow for Winston, who had been projected as a first-round 2025 Draft choice, and Penn State, who is looking to win the Big Ten and a national championship.
In Winston’s only full game of the 2024 season thus far, he balled out, picking up 12 tackles and forcing a fumble in the team’s 34-12 win at West Virginia. His performance earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and national recognition.
The next week, he played 14 snaps against Bowling Green at Beaver Stadium but was seen on the sidelines soon after without a helmet.
Franklin didn’t say much about Winston after the Bowling Green game and didn’t say much during his first weekly presser since, either.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I don’t really have any new information to share with you guys at this stage,” Franklin said. “I probably will, I would think, probably post-practice when I see you guys later in the week (Wednesday).
By the admission of safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, Penn State doesn’t have a ton of established depth at safety.
It’s not something that Penn State fans have thought about because Tom Allen’s defense has not two, but three safeties capable of starting Winston, Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley.
But if one of the best safeties in the country is to miss time, that lack of established depth becomes more apparent and also creates an opportunity for one of Penn State’s youngest players. DeJuan “DaeDae” Lane is a 6-foot-2, 211-pounder who was one of two freshmen who Franklin and his staff gave the “green light” before the season to play without redshirting, the other being OL Cooper Cousins. Franklin was hoping to use Lane against Bowling Green, but because the game ended up being close, didn’t get that chance.
Considering Kent State lost its last game 71-0, Saturday will likely be a big opportunity for Lane, regardless of Winston’s status.
“We’re going to have to develop a few more guys,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll see timing-wise how this whole thing will play out, but definitely, for the short-term, we’re going to have to develop some more guys. DaeDae is going to be really important this week, and obviously, moving forward as well. He’s a guy that we’ve been trying to get more involved. We had planned on playing him more last week. It didn’t play out that way, but he’s probably the guy that I would say our focus is on the most right now.”
