KJ Winston injury update: What's the latest on the Penn State safety at the midway mark?
Penn State coach James Franklin did not rule out the possibility that junior safety KJ Winston Jr., could return to action this season when asked about the star defender on Monday. But, he also didn’t guarantee that he would, either. That message has been the going rate since the 11th-year leader of the Lions revealed in mid-September that the Maryland native is dealing with a “long-term” injury. The nature of it has not been disclosed. Winston Jr., played in the first quarter back against Bowling Green but then missed the remainder of the contest. He has not played since.
“We are hoping for him to have a more significant impact in terms of leadership, in terms of all those other things,” Franklin said. “But right now, KJ’s focus is on getting healthy. I actually visited with him and his family on Wednesday night, which was awesome. Me and [Penn State safeties coach Anthony Poindexter]. That was great.
“He’s a huge part of our program. Will continue to be a huge part of our program. But obviously, based on some of the things that he was working through from a health perspective, his focus was on that, which, rightfully so.”
The injury has altered the Penn State defense
Winston Jr.’s absence has changed the Penn State defense. It has forced first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen to use Jaylen Reed more as a true safety than he would prefer. In a perfect world, Reed would take most of his snaps at the ‘Lion’ position, which is the team’s term for the spot that can play the run and also can cover well in the pass game.
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Reed and fellow starting safety Zakee Wheatley currently lead the defense in snaps with 306 and 297, respectively, per Pro Football Focus. They are playing almost every snap. Winston Jr., is actually third on the safety snap list sheet still with 74, and freshman Dejuan Lane is fourth with 66.
“I think [Reed is] playing really well,” Franklin said. “And he’s not just a guy that plays really well himself, but he impacts others. You watch him out there, running the defense, communicating checks , just does a phenomenal job when it comes to the sideline [after series]. The information he’s able to give us is extremely valuable. [He is] playing very, very well.
“Typically, you don’t want to be in a situation where your safety is leading in tackles. But as we know, he hasn’t really just played a traditional safety role. He’s also played the outside linebacker position as well. I’d like to see us get back to doing that, so as [Lane] continues to develop and grow, being able to get all three of those guys on the field, I think, is going to be important for us moving forward.”
