Jaylen Reed declares for NFL Draft, says farewell to Penn State
Jaylen Reed officially announced his decision to enter the 2025 NFL Draft on Sunday afternoon.
Reed penned a heartfelt letter to the Penn State community, thanking God, his family and friends, the staff at PSU, and all the Nittany Lions fans who welcomed him to Happy Valley.
“Just a kid from Detroit chasing my dreams. With that being said, it’s TIME… I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.”
Penn State I Love You…💙
It’s my time to chase my dreams, God be with me…🙏🏾 #THE1 #UNO pic.twitter.com/aHvrmtEu5T— Jay Reed..🦅 (@JaylenReed03) January 12, 2025
The star defensive back led the Nittany Lions in tackles in 2024 with 98 and also collected 3 interceptions, 7 tackles for loss, and 3 pass deflections. The senior received unanimous All-Big Ten honors for his 2024 performance. Through 50 career games with the Nittany Lions, Reed racked up 181 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 5 INTs, and 7 pass deflections.
Before college, Reed starred for Martin Luther King High School in Detroit. The 247Sports Composite ranking had ranked Reed as a 4-star prospect, the No. 18 safety, and the No. 9 prospect out of Michigan in the 2021 class. Reed chose the Nittany Lions over offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and others.
Reed joins fellow Penn State DBs KJ Winston and Jalen Kimber in declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. The talented unit helped the Nittany Lions end the season with the No. 7 total defense in the nation after allowing just 294.8 yards per game.
Without Winston, Kimber, and Reed, the Nittany Lions will likely rely on transfer DB King Mack and Zakee Wheatley.