On the field, Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. was not like many of the kids he grew up playing with in Columbia, Maryland. He was twitchy and agile and could stop the run better than anyone his size. Winston did, however, share one thing in common with the rest of the neighborhood youth: a love for Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor.
Winston still watches Taylor’s highlights. In fact, Winston emulates his game after him. And recently, shades of greatness have been popping up throughout the preseason. It’s no longer becoming a far-fetched dream to make an impact similar to that of his hero. Winston is anticipated to be one of the nation’s top defensive backs this fall.
“I mean, I don’t have enough adjectives for him,” James Franklin said after practice Thursday. “You look at him physically, he’s beautiful. He's got a great relationship with the coaches and he's kind of an extension of the coaching staff. I could go on and on and on. I think he's gonna have a big year for us, and I think he's got a very, very special, bright future.”
Winston was too advanced to keep off the field as a true freshman in 2022 and too good to leave out of the starting lineup last season. He’s seen a great deal of football in just two years, but is only now feeling like the best version of himself. Whether it’s in preparing his body, practicing the right way or leading the rest of the safeties, Winston gets it. All of it.
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Winston said. “With a lot more experience under my belt, things are coming a lot slower. Everything's moving a lot slower, and I'm seeing things a different way now.”
Tom Allen began watching Winston’s film shortly after he was hired as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator in December. He saw his size and speed, and knew he had a great player in his secondary. But it wasn’t until Allen began working directly with him that he was able to fully understand just how gifted Winston was.
Allen couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. Winston is one of the “most impressive guys” he’s ever worked with, Allen said. And that’s saying something, considering Allen has coached All-Americans, first-round NFL Draft picks and future Pro Bowlers over a 32-year career.
“He can just flat out burst and close. And then I get here and I see an unbelievable work ethic. … He’s a pro, and I think he’s a pro that’s on a mission,” Allen said. “He's a hungry guy, and he's extremely difficult and hard on himself, and he's extremely hard on his teammates, which is a great thing.”
Penn State’s safety unit is filled with youth. There’s a ton of potential for what the room could become, and even more excitement for what it could look like this year. And Winston isn’t the only safety expected to stand out. He’ll get to share the spotlight with two of his best friends, Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley.
Reed was a cornerstone of the defense last season, starting all 13 games alongside Winston. Wheatley, on the other hand, was continuously praised by Franklin as a star of the spring.
It’s likely Allen finds a way to play all three at the same time.
“You want to have all your best guys on the field, so allowing us to put all three out there, we're all happy, and we don't ever want to take that formation off the field,” Winston said. “We always want to have all three guys out there, and obviously you gotta make a change, but as long as we can have that out there, we're excited.”
Franklin can only wait in anticipation for Winston, as well as Reed and Wheatley, to show the rest of the football world what he’s seen this offseason. Soon enough, scouts are likely to catch on. It’s only a matter of time before Winston is following in the footsteps of his idol, Taylor, as a safety in the NFL.
“He's the man,” Franklin said. “He's so mature. He really knows how to practice, how to prepare. He’s totally locked in. Totally focused.”
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