Forgotten Penn State star is overcoming tragedy to impress his new NFL coaching staff originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

Fans of the Big 10 won’t be surprised to see that former Penn State safety KJ Winston Jr. is pushing for a starting role with the Tennessee Titans. Despite still working back from a torn ACL and missing some practices with soreness, the third-round pick has earned praise everywhere this summer. That includes ESPN’s latest rookie rundown, where they said:

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“Rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr., who has generated a lot of buzz. He had a timely safety blitz to fluster [QB Cam] Ward in one of the practices.”

The native of Columbia, Md., and alumnus of DeMatha Catholic High School is now looking to bring his ferocious style to the Titans. He had an injury-plagued 2024 season, missing much of it due to a problem he suffered during practice leading up to the Bowling Green game.

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi has remained bullish on Winston, who is 100% healthy and has been in the building all summer.

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Before the injury, he recorded 12 tackles against West Virginia and earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He played only in the first quarter and part of the second quarter against Bowling Green before leaving the game, marking the end of his career with the Nittany Lions.

According to Pro Football Focus, Winston Jr. participated in just 74 snaps during the 2024 season, accumulating 13 tackles and a forced fumble. Over his time at Penn State, he totaled 89 tackles, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one interception.

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James Franklin was always supportive and complimentary of Winston’s impact.

“He’s a huge part of our program. Will continue to be a huge part of our program. But obviously, based on some of the things that he was working through from a health perspective, his focus was on that, which, rightfully so.”

Here’s what I wrote about Winston’s outlook back in December after he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

After missing most of the 2024 season with a partially torn ACL, Kevin Winston Jr. is heading to the NFL. While Winston was a consensus top safety behind Malaki Starks entering the year, his absence opened the door for others to take his spot. With health concerns present and a lost year of film, Winston will likely plummet on draft boards.

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How much will evaluators trust Winston’s 2023 tape and be willing to overlook his injury? History suggests that he’ll suffer despite being an elite player not long ago. Safeties aren’t highly valued, and Winston’s circumstances are difficult.

When he’s right, Winston is an all-around star. The term versatility is overused to describe someone who is decent at everything, but Winston is truly excellent in run defense, tackling, and coverage. He was a first-round value only five months ago.”

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.