Penn State Football 2024 Forecast: A Secondary Ready to Take Flight

The Nittany Lions seek to build their "Lockdown U" brand with another strong roster of defensive backs.

Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. tackles Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins in the 2023 Peach Bowl. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State’s offensive line and defensive back positions are jockeying for the 2024 award for most turnover. The line had three starters selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, while the secondary lost four major contributors, including two starting cornerbacks who were drafted.

The departure of Manny Diaz and the subsequent addition of Tom Allen as defensive coordinator will shake up Penn State’s secondary this fall. Penn State will introduce the “Lion,” a position similar to nickel cornerback with some added linebacker-type responsibilities. Penn State also seems likely to play with four linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs more frequently, making this year’s personnel even more important. Let’s dive into the secondary in the next installment of our Penn State Football 2024 forecast.

The Storyline

Penn State lost multi-year starters Daequan Hardy (sixth round to the Buffalo Bills), Kalen King (seventh round to the Green Bay Packers) and Johnny Dixon (undrafted) from the cornerback group, along with safety Keaton Ellis, who signed with Tennessee, from the safeties room. That group, along with recent NFL selections Joey Porter Jr., Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown, helped brand Penn State’s secondary as "Lockdown U" and earn more national recognition.

Safeties Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr., along with cornerback Cam Miller, are the familiar names tasked with continuing that trend this year. But a pair of transfers, Georgia’s A.J. Harris and Florida’s Jalen Kimber, look to be plug-and-play options at cornerback, and safety Zakee Wheatley should build on a strong spring. Penn State’s corner depth will be tested this season, especially considering the lack of experience beyond Miller and Kimber, but there’s upside all around the secondary. Sophomores Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy, who experienced a bit of trial by fire in the Peach Bowl, will factor in heavily after playing primarily on special teams last season.

The Alphas

After becoming an important contributor as a freshman and a full-time starter last year, Reed is first in line to be the full-time Lion this fall, at least according to all signs from spring ball. He’s a bigger body at safety (6 feet, 210 pounds) who has never been shy to stuff the run but also picked up the first two interceptions of his career in 2023. In his final season at Penn State, Reed is a true X-factor, continuing his leadership among the defensive backs while taking on a new and pivotal position.

Winston, meanwhile, is a budding star. He led Penn State with 61 tackles in 2023, adding five pass breakups, an interception, 2.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. With stats like that and a 6-2, 206-pound frame, it’s no surprise he’s already garnering attention as a first-round NFL Draft selection in 2025. Accounting for Reed’s potential move to Lion, Winston will be the top dog at safety and once again will do a little bit of everything. Pro Football Focus already mocks Winston as a first-rounder in 2025.

The Players You Don’t Know Yet

Harris’ transfer to Penn State should excite fans. He appeared in just eight games at Georgia as a freshman but had an extremely high recruiting pedigree out of high school, rated as a 5-star by some outlets. His first impression with Penn State was unique, too, after head coach James Franklin recruited him in high school. Harris apparently did a ton of his own scouting on the Nittany Lions after they contacted him in the transfer portal, studying up on the coaching staff and their style of play. He had an excited energy about him the first time he spoke to local media, too, and after making seven tackles and a pass breakup in the Blue-White Game, Harris has generated some deserved hype. The only question is whether he can build on a 6-1, 188-pound frame.

Wheatley is familiar to Penn State fans, as he was the Lions’ camp turnover king with three takeaways in 2022. He’s lined up for a much more significant role this season, as Franklin said multiple times that Wheatley had by far the best spring of his career. The head coach added that the idea of having Reed, Winston and Wheatley on the field at the same time certainly excited the coaching staff.

The Issues at the Position

How does Penn State’s young and inexperienced cornerback group shake out? Kimber, while perhaps among the less-hyped names at the position, should bring a steady presence with his two years of SEC experience. Miller has been around Penn State for a while now, too, and has shown physicality on the edge. But it’s going to take more than two guys, and Penn State has some questions beyond those two.

Harris is exciting but has yet to do it on the field. Kalen King last season compared Zion Tracy to NFL star Jalen Ramsey because of his fluidity on the field. Washington is one of the fastest players on Penn State’s roster. Audavion Collins, an unheralded transfer from Mississippi State one year ago, has received some of the highest praise in the group. Then there’s the pair of early enrollee freshmen — Jon Mitchell and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter — whom cornerbacks coach Terry Smith likes a lot, especially in potential special teams roles.

But that’s the key — potential is only potential until it plays out on the field. Penn State’s secondary is extremely talented, and safety should continue to be a consistent group with experienced names (though losing King Mack to Alabama affects depth). However, a lot of eyes will be on the cornerbacks because of the strong work King, Dixon and Hardy did in their careers.

Can Penn State Win the Big Ten with this Position Group?

Most likely, yes. The athleticism Penn State that will be on the field this fall is very good. It’s just going to take some time to see how the group gels and adapts to Big Ten play, and Penn State will have to hope any bumps in the road are minor,

The Penn State Football 2024 Forecast Series

A defensive line ready to crunch

At tight end, a game-changer returns

An important season for the running backs

The offensive line takes new shape

Why we should be talking more about special teams

How offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki could deploy the quarterbacks

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.