It’s been over a month since Penn State football safety K.J. Winston suffered a long-term injury against Bowling Green. With no public timetable for his return, the Nittany Lions have looked to other safties to step up.

Since Winston’s injury, Jaylen Reed has switched from nickel to safety, corners Cam Miller and Elliot Washington II have taken reps at nickel, Zakee Wheatley is in a bigger role, and true freshman Dejuan Lane is working towards more playing time.

Even with the changes on the depth chart, the secondary has held its own without one of the Nittany Lions’ best defenders. Penn State has the eighth-best passing defense, averaging 262.5 yards allowed per game.

Heading into the USC game last Saturday, the Trojans had the 20th-best passing offense, averaging 292.8 yards per game. Against the Nittany Lions’ secondary, USC quarterback Miller Moss was 20-for-34 with 220 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception forced by Reed to send the game to overtime.

Reed and Wheatley have been the two anchors of the secondary without Winston, and defensive coordinator Tom Allen has noticed.

“I’m just so proud of both those guys,” Allen said Wednesday. “There’s no doubt that when K.J. went down, they had to step up, and I think you’ve seen that in practice and you’ve seen that in games.”

Reed has been one of the best players on the defense since the switch from nickel to safety. He leads the team in tackles with 39, and he also has 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

“Jaylen, he’s become the whole voice of the back end. That’s awesome, and he’s such a smart player,” Allen said.

Although Wheatley is a veteran on the defense, he’s been primarily a backup throughout his Penn State career. He appeared in 13 games in the last two seasons but never started a game.

This year, Wheatley has started every game and has made a noticeable impact in the secondary.

“He’s playing his best football since he’s been here, and that’s key. We need him to,” Allen said. “He’s playing with a ton of confidence, and he’s not relying on [Reed and Winston] like he did in the past.”

Reed and Wheatley have played well without Winston, but depth at the safety position has been at a premium. Lane, a former four-star who enrolled in June, has been asked to grow up fast.

James Franklin spoke highly of Lane during fall camp and later announced the Baltimore, Maryland, native would burn his redshirt this season.

“He’s got the length, he’s got the speed, he’s got all the traits. He’s got great range, because he’s a smart kid, and he knows how to get to a position to make plays,” Allen said. “He just needs to, No. 1, learn our defense inside and out, and he needs to learn how to study and prepare. And that’s what [Anthony Poindexter] is working a lot with him right now.”

Franklin mentioned earlier in the season that he hopes Lane can develop quickly so Reed can move back to his native nickelback position. To help the true freshman get ready for a tough stretch of games against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Washington, Allen is turning to Reed and Wheatley to help in Lane’s development.

“Jaylen Reed and Zakee, they’ve got to help a young guy like [Lane],” Allen said. “They’ve all been in his shoes as well. Has he been forced to grow up faster than, expected? Absolutely. But you know what? I think he definitely has the talent for it, he has the capacity for it, and I’m excited for him.

“I think he’s going to be a tremendous player for us, and he’s going to help us win games here down the stretch.”