Kevin Winston Jr. has officially earned his opportunity to play in the NFL.
On Friday, the Tennessee Titans selected the former Penn State safety in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
An All-Big Ten honorable mention as a sophomore in 2023, Winston played well against West Virginia in the season opener before his season went awry.
The 6-foot-2 junior suffered a partially torn ACL in practice leading up to the Bowling Green game. He tried to play in PSUโs second matchup of the year, but couldnโt finish the victory after recording one total tackle.
Winston never returned to the field and set his sights on the draft. Max Chadwick of The PFF College Football Show believes Winston is a first-round talent and could have marked PSUโs third player picked in the opening round.ย
If not for ACL injury, Winston and Jaylen Reed would have played a second consecutive season as the safety pairing in PSUโs secondary.ย
From Columbia, Maryland, Winston signed with Penn State in the class of 2022. Winston collected a team-high 61 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, six passes defended, five pass breakups, and one interception in 2023.ย
Winston totaled 10 tackles, one pass defended, and one pass breakup in PSUโs loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. He earned a career-high 12 tackles against Michigan and started all 13 games two years ago.ย
He finished his PSU career totaling 90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception in 27 games.
The Nittany Lions finished the season 13-3 and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
