Underrated Penn State Veteran had Signature Moment

Jaylen Reed looks on as Penn State gets set to take the field for their matchup at Maryland.

It looked like Penn State’s perfect season could be going down the drain. More than midway through the third quarter, Wisconsin led 10-7. A three point deficit is hardly insurmountable, but with Allar out for the game and nobody knowing how good backup Beau Pribula would be— as it turned out, he was quite good— Penn State fans had reason to be concerned.

Wisconsin faced a 3rd and 14 from the its own eight, a bad situation for any offense to be in.

Reed was about to make it worse for the Badgers.

Trying to convert the third and long, Wisconsin QB Braedyn Locke used the middle of the field.

Reed was waiting. He picked the ball off and 19 yards later, completed his signature moment.

Penn State now led 14-10, and it would score 14 of the last 17 points to stay perfect with a 28-13 win.

You can probably guess what Reed’s vibes were afterward.

“It feels great,” Reed said after the game, “just stepping up when my team needed me, especially at the time of the game, the score of the game. Just being that big-time player that can make the big-time play is a great thing for me.”

‘MAKING A STATEMENT’

Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Jaylen Reed

It’s been hard for Reed to stand out in the past partially because he’s always played with other stars. When Reed became a starter during his second season, Ji’Ayir Brown was the unquestioned leader of the safeties room. The next season, Reed officially became a veteran but a lot of attention was spent on KJ Winston, who blossomed into a star as a sophomore. Winston was set to continue to shine this season but got hurt in the team’s second game and hasn’t played in the five since.

With a player of Winston’s caliber out, it’s been extra important for Reed to be a big time player.

He’s answered the bell, leading Penn State in tackles with 44 while playing on both the defensive backfield and second level.

In the past, Reid has felt overlooked but he feels that’s changing.

“I feel like I’ve made a statement this season so far, and I’m not done yet,” Reed said. “I just feel like, coming into the season, I was a little underrated in my eyes, but it’s all about the work you put in and the stuff you’re doing in the offseason, and the shine’s gonna come. I just talked to my coaches and believed in my coaches, believed in what they’re teaching me, and then just keep going.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

When Reed spoke with reporters via Zoom after the team’s Week 1 win at West Virginia, he was open about feeling under appreciated and wanted to make a statement in that season opener.

“I wanted to make the world feel me,” he said.

Reed then said he sometimes feels “I don’t get the recognition I deserve.”

“But it’s OK, you know?” he said. “I feel like sometimes that’s just how everybody’s journey goes, and I’m going to keep playing like that every game. I just feel I got this chip on my shoulder, and I feel I got something to prove.”

If there were any questions left about Reed, he answers them Saturday night.

“That I’m a big-time player, and I deserve — when it’s my time whenever to go to the draft, I feel like I should be a top player out of the draft,” Reed said. “That’s one thing I harp myself on. I feel like I’m a big-time player, and big-time players make big-time plays, and I continue to do that. I feel like everybody should be taking notes now.”

So was this Reed’s finest moment at Penn State?

He says yes.

“That was probably my best play,” he said. It was a pick 6. It’s kind of hard to get that, you know, and it was a huge moment for me.

Reed also said he called Brisker after the game.

“You know, me and Jaquan are pretty close,” he said. “I just called him after the game. He probably put up a tweet already. He tweets about me every time I make a big play.

“That’s just something that I’m super happy about. Just carrying that tradition now and just making plays out there so the big bros can see me out there making plays. To see the process that I’m doing, to see the work that I’m putting in, it’s just a huge moment for me.”