Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 7 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / D E F E N S I V E B A C K S / / / / / / / ZION TRACY So. | 5-11 | 183 • Appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman last year, mostly on special teams. • Was named Penn State's special teams player of the week against Northwestern in Sep- tember. • Saw extensive action in the Peach Bowl with two Penn State starters missing the game. ELLIOT WASHINGTON II So. | 5-11 | 194 • Appeared in 10 games on defense and special teams as a true freshman in 2023. • Notched a solo tackle for loss in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. Safety DAKAARI NELSON R-Fr. | 6-3 | 217 • Appeared in one game as a true freshman last year and preserved his freshman status for the 2024 season. • Was named developmental squad player of the week on both defense and special teams in separate weeks last fall. LAMONT PAYNE JR. R-Fr. | 6-0 | 196 • Made an offseason move from cornerback to safety after redshirting in 2023. • Played in three games and twice last season was named developmental squad player of the week. JAYLEN REED Sr. | 6-0 | 209 • Started all 13 games for Penn State at safety last year. • Was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selec- tion in 2023 by the coaches and media. • Finished with 46 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions last season. • Expected to play the new Lion position, a hy- brid defensive back spot. ZAKEE WHEATLEY R-Jr. | 6-2 | 200 • Has played in 25 games over the past two seasons as a backup for the Nittany Lions. • Recorded 2 interceptions and a forced fumble as a redshirt freshman in 2022. KEVIN WINSTON JR. Jr. | 6-2 | 204 • Started all 13 games at Penn State as a sopho- more in 2023. • Led the team in tackles with 60 and added 2 fumble recoveries and an interception. • Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recogni- tion from the conference coaches and media. NEWCOMERS Cornerback ANTOINE BELGRAVE-SHORTER Fr. | 6-0 |194 • Enrolled at Penn State in January. • Was a three-star prospect, as well as the No. 70 cornerback nationally and No. 87 player in Florida, per the On3 Industry Ranking. • Helped lead Mandarin High in Jacksonville to the state title game as a senior in 2023. A.J. HARRIS So. | 6-1 | 191 • Transferred from Georgia after one year with the Bulldogs. • Was a five-star prospect in the class of 2022 out of Phenix City (Ala.) Central. • Led all players with 7 tackles in the 2024 Blue- White Game, including 2 for loss. JALEN KIMBER R-Sr. | 6-0 |188 • Started 11 games at Florida in 2023 before transferring to Penn State in the winter. • Began his career at Georgia and transferred to Florida before the 2022 season. • Posted 36 tackles, 6 pass breakups and an interception the past two seasons. JON MITCHELL Fr. | 5-11 | 191 • Enrolled at Penn State in January. • Was a four-star prospect and was listed in the On3 Industry Ranking as the No. 105 overall player and No. 15 cornerback nationally, and the No. 15 player in Florida. • Was a teammate of Belgrave-Shorter on the Mandarin High team that reached the state title game last season. KENNY WOSELEY JR. Fr. | 5-10 | 167 • Led Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia to an un- defeated record and a Pennsylvania 5A state title as a senior. • Was a three-star prospect and was listed No. 64 among cornerbacks nationally and No. 15 among Pennsylvania players in the On3 Industry Ranking. Safety DEJUAN LANE Fr. | 6-2 | 203 • Enrolled at Penn State in the summer. • Ran a career-best 10.64-second 100-meter dash in the spring as a senior at the Gilman School in Baltimore. • Was a four-star prospect, as well as the No. 327 overall prospect and No. 26 safety na- tionally, and the No. 10 player in Maryland, per the On3 Industry Ranking. VABOUE TOURE Fr. | 6-1 | 212 • Enrolled at Penn State for the spring semester. • Was a four-star prospect and was listed in the On3 Industry Ranking as the No. 332 overall prospect and No. 27 safety nationally, as well as the No. 5 player in New Jersey. BY THE NUMBERS 9th Penn State's spot on Phil Steele's list of the nation's best secondar- ies heading into the 2024 season. Ohio State tops the list, and the Nittany Lions come in just ahead of Alabama. 11th The Lions' national rank last season in team pass-effi- ciency defense. Penn State's rating of 116.44 was fourth in the Big Ten in 2024. 21st Kevin Winston Jr.'s place in the 2024 mock draft that Cory Kinnan of Sports Illustrated assembled in June. "[Georgia's] Malaki Starks is the best safety in the nation, but Penn State's Kevin Winston Jr. is not far behind," Kinnan wrote. The Nittany Lions have never had a defensive back go in the first round of the NFL Draft. Cornerback Audavion Collins played sparingly in his first year after transferring from Mississippi State, but he has impressed during the offseason and is expected to have a bigger role this fall. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL