Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr. declares for draft

Field Level Media|published: Thu 12th December, 12:27 2024

Sep 16, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Kevin Winston Jr. (21) tackles Illinois Fighting Illini running back Josh McCray (0) after McCray caught a short pass during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Penn State captain and All-Big Ten safety Kevin Winston Jr. declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday.

Winston's 2024 junior season ended in early September due to an undisclosed injury.

ESPN reported Thursday that Winston sustained a partially torn ACL in practice. His surgery was performed by Dallas Cowboys team physician Dr. Dan Cooper and he is on pace to be cleared for on-field drills by March 1, per the report.

"After much thought and prayer, I'm excited to announce that I'll be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft," he posted on social media. "This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I'm ready to embrace this next challenge with the same dedication and heart that got me to this point."

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Winston recorded 12 tackles and a forced fumble in Penn State's season-opening 34-12 win at West Virginia on Aug. 31.

Over three seasons with the Nittany Lions, he tallied 90 tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries in 28 games. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2023.

--Field Level Media