One of Penn State football’s best and most important players was involved in a car accident between Friday night and Saturday morning.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Jaylen Reed was at what appeared to be the scene of a car accident.
The good news is, Reed escaped without serious injury and it looks like he’ll be good to go for Penn State’s first-ever College Football Playoff game, which is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 against SMU at Beaver Stadium.
“Jaylen Reed was involved in a car accident,” a Penn State spokesperson said via On3Sports. “We are happy he’s okay and there were no serious injuries.”
“He will continue to prepare for this weekend.”
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
Reed has been one of Penn State’s most productive players in 2024. Through 23 games, he leads the team in tackles with 79 and has gotten some of those while playing closer to linebacker instead of his typical safety position. He’s also been a force in the takeaway department, intercepting three passes in a four-game stretch. The biggest one took place in the third quarter of Penn State’s win at Wisconsin Oct. 26. That was a Pick 6 that gave Penn State a 14-13 lead, an advantage it would build on to turn into a 28-13 win in Madison.
JAYLEN REED PICK 6 @PennStateFball #B1GFootball on NBC pic.twitter.com/f7IrHpcG89
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 27, 2024
Reed was rewarded for his efforts with an All-Big Ten selection.
Penn State’s Kevin Winston Jr. was ruled out indefinitely with a long-term injury earlier this week.
Late Thursday morning, Kevin Winston Jr., a safety who was supposed to be one of Penn State’s best players this season but missed almost all of it due to injury, declared for the Draft as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This news came days after Penn State coach James Franklinconfirmed that Winston would not return for the team’s College Football Playoff run.
Winston was supposed to be not just one of Penn State’s best players but one of the best defenders in college football in 2024. But his season amounted to just one full game. Reed is out of eligibility after this season, so Penn State’s safeties room will be in transition come 2025.
Penn State has its first College Football Playoff game scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 at noon against SMU on TNT.
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