Heading into the 2024 season, Penn State’s secondary was headlined by safety Kevin Winton Jr. However, the junior was injured in the team’s season-opening win over West Virginia and hasn’t returned since. Without Winston, Jaylen Reed has emerged as a superstar and was a second-team midseason All-American.
Reed leads the Nittany Lions in tackles with 57 and interceptions with three. All three of Reed’s interceptions have come across the last four weeks including in Penn State’s Week 11 White Out win over Washington 35-6.
In the first half of Penn State’s Week 12 matchup with Purdue in West Lafayette, the Nittany Lion senior headed to the sideline on the Boilermaker’s first drive of the second quarter after making a tackle on quarterback Hudson Card. Reed made his way to the sideline after being treated by the training staff but returned on the same drive as Purdue settled for a field goal in the red zone.
Jaylen Reed injury status:
Reed left Penn State’s Week 12 matchup with Purdue after being treated by the training staff but returned to the field a few plays later.
Penn State is lacking depth in the secondary after losing KJ Winston early in the year, so there was concern once Jaylen Reed went down with an apparent injury, but that quickly subsided when he returned to the field.
Jaylen Reed back on the field.
— Rich Scarcella (@nittanyrich) November 16, 2024
Behind Reed, Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen has veteran safety Zakee Wheatley and freshman Dejuan Lane if he is forced to leave the game again. Lane has taken a larger role since Winston's long-term injury.