Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T here is an old saying in baseball that the best teams are strong up the middle. It's the same in foot- ball. On the diamond, teams that have elite or even just above-average players at catcher, second base, shortstop and center field are more likely to win than their counterparts that do not. On the gridiron, teams that are stout at defen- sive tackle, possess a game-controlling middle linebacker and have top-tier safeties are better positioned than their counterparts to stop opposing offenses, especially in an era when every offense seems to be explosive and pass-happy. For the past decade, Penn State head coach James Franklin has tried to de- velop those positions in hope of fielding a strong defense up the middle every season. Some years, one of those three position groups has towered over the other two. That's not exactly true this year, but if one were to rank them, there is little doubt that the safeties lead the way for coordinator Tom Allen's de- fense. No one knows that better than the players they've been practicing against. "They're really freaking good, man," redshirt freshman tight end Andrew Rappleyea said. "They truly are the best in the country. I can say that with confi- dence now. They're really good." An Urgent Matter Senior Jaylen Reed is the elder states- man of the group. The 2021 signee saw time in eight games as a true freshman before earning a bigger rotational role the following year. He became a starter for the first time last season and was terrific, totaling 46 tackles, including 4 for loss and a sack, 2 interceptions and a pass breakup. Reed should have been talked about during the offseason as one of col- lege football's returning stars, but that didn't happen. It was hardly the end of the world as far as the Detroit native and his team were concerned. In some ways, it might even have been beneficial. The lack of attention helped fuel a 9-tackle performance in Penn State's season- opening 34-12 victory at West Virginia. Reed, who stands 6-foot, 212 pounds, is playing two positions this year: the "Lion," which is an extra defensive back in Allen's 4-2-5 look, and a traditional safety spot. He plays them one at a time, but viewers could have been forgiven for thinking that he was lining up in two places at once during PSU's opener. He was seemingly everywhere, and his per- formance garnered some national at- tention. "Dude was flying around," Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy wrote on so- cial media. "Love the urgency!" Reed appreciates the attention, even if it's not the end-all, be-all in his mind. "I'm going to make the world feel me," he said. "I feel like sometimes I don't get the recognition I deserve. But it's OK. Sometimes that's just how people's jour- neys go. I'm going to keep playing like that every game, like I have a chip on my shoulder. I've got something to prove. That was my mindset." Penn State coaches and teammates say Reed has already done much of what he needs to do to be considered one of col- lege football's best defenders and poten- tially a high-level 2025 NFL Draft pick. "Jaylen Reed jumped off screen. Ev- erybody could see it," sophomore cor- nerback A.J. Harris said after the West Virginia game. "His work showed for itself. He's been a great leader in that room, knowing what we want to get this year. He's been good about taking all the corners under his wing, communicating with us and making sure we're always on the same page. "J-Reed is a great teammate, and I re- ally appreciate him. He's one of those teammates you love to have. I can't wait to see what the rest of the season reveals for him, because he had a great start." Junior Kevin Winston Jr. (No. 2) shared Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after making a team-best 12 tackles against the Mountaineers. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL