After Week 1, Jaylen Reed could be the best player on Penn State’s elite defense

In Penn State’s Week 1 win over West Virginia, all eyes were on the overhauled offense. However, the most important thing for Penn State to be a College Football Playoff contender this year was the defense remaining elite. 

The pressure was and still is on new defensive coordinator Tom Allen to continue the program’s long run of success on that side of the ball. Most everyone expected Allen to lean on the stars of his defensive line, Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton to carry the group, but in Morgantown on Saturday, senior safety Jaylen Reed was Allen’s best player. 

In 2023, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 2 in total defense, allowed the fewest rushing yards per game, and also led the country in sacks per game at 3.8. That unit earned Manny Diaz a second shot as an FBS head coach, taking over Duke from Mike Elko, and once Diaz left, James Franklin’s first call was to Tom Allen. 

While there has been palpable excitement over Franklin’s OC hire Andy Kotelnicki and the team witnessed the immediate returns on that investment in Week 1, the defensive coaching staff was mired in a bit of uncertainty after Allen’s Indiana teams ranked outside of the top 100 in total defense in each of the past two years. 

Carter and Dennis-Sutton will take over for stretches this season, and on Saturday, Penn State’s defensive line dominated, holding West Virginia, the No. 4 rushing offense from 2023 to just 85 yards on the ground. Allen proved that this defense is not going to regress, but if Reed continues to be the disruptive force that James Franklin profusely praised following Saturday’s marathon victory, it could get even better. 

Reed finished with nine tackles, a new career high and still three shy of Kevin Winston Jr. the team leader, but Reed led the team with two pass-breakups, added a tackle for loss, and recovered a fumble. He was effective at all three levels, but most impactful around the line of scrimmage, where he’ll be most of the year. 

Last season, Penn State had a trio of quality cornerbacks with Kalen King and Johnny Dixon on the outside and Daequan Hardy patrolling the slot. All three left for professional football, forcing Franklin into the transfer portal to add A.J. Harris and Jalen Kimber. Harris and Kimber both played over 40 snaps at outside corner on Saturday, but Penn State’s primary nickel corner in the slot was Reed. 

Penn State’s three safeties, Reed, Winston, and Zakee Wheatley played the three most defensive snaps against West Virginia and Reed led the team with 22 of his 59 snaps coming in the slot. Last season, Reed played 26.5% of his snaps at nickel and was primarily an over-the-top free safety, but it’s clear that under Allen, his usage has changed.

Beyond just covering slot receivers and tight ends, Reed will be Penn State’s primary box safety, his 28 snaps in the box ranking third on the team behind Kobe King and Tony Rojas. Being closer to the line of scrimmage has allowed Reed to play downhill with his eyes in the backfield and with the change, Allen has unleashed a new force that opposing offensive coordinators need to gameplan for. 

Reed did allow two catches in coverage but allowed three total yards. He’s an elite tackler, allowing him to play as an undersized linebacker in the box at just 6-foot and 212 pounds, and he can still run with downfield receivers like a corner. 

Coming into the year, Winston drew the headlines in Penn State’s secondary, and he was excellent in Week 1, but Reed is the more versatile chess piece. Winston, Carter, Dennis-Sutton, and even Rojas are all big-time playmakers for the Nittany Lions, but there’s a chance that Reed found the perfect role in Allen’s defense and will be the most important player on that side of the ball.