James Franklin refuses to provide clarity on the status of Penn State’s elite defensive player
By Josh Yourish
Penn State first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen has been forced to construct his game plans for much of this season without his superstar safety in them. Junior safety Kevin Winston Jr. left the Nittany Lion’s Week 2 win over Bowling Green after playing just 14 snaps and has not played since. On Monday, ahead of Penn State’s Week 9 matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers, head coach James Franklin continued to leave Winston’s situation incredibly murky.
Franklin was asked about Winston’s status during his weekly media availability and the 11th-year head coach of the Nittany Lions reiterated that it’s a “long-term injury,” and that “he’s a huge part of our program. Will continue to be a huge part of our program.” The program has not provided any clarity on Winston’s situation since he suffered some sort of long-term injury.
With gambling legalized all over the country, it’s more important than ever for fans and media to have information regarding the status of players on these high-profile football teams. The SEC has created mandatory “Student-Athlete Availability Reports” that teams must submit each Wednesday before a conference game, but the Big Ten has no such requirement.
While it would be excellent for the Big Ten to follow the SEC’s lead, until that happens, Franklin has no incentive to provide his opponent around the league any information regarding Winston’s health. However, the unknown feeds speculation about a player who has been away from the program for an extended period. Franklin reportedly visited with Winston and his family during the team’s bye week.
While it feels incredibly unlikely that Winston will return this season, Franklin’s refusal to rule it out keeps the door open for a potential postseason return. In his absence, fellow safety Jaylen Reed has flourished in Allen’s defense, earning mid-season All-American honors. Zakee Wheatley, Cam Miller, and true freshman Dejuan Lane have all seen increased snap-counts since Week 2.
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