For all the noise around Penn State’s defense after seven games, the clearest reason for optimism is hiding in plain sight: the secondary has been excellent.
The Nittany Lions have had real problems stopping the run and getting steady pressure on quarterbacks, but their pass defense has been one of the strongest in the country. Penn State ranks fourth nationally and first in the Big Ten in passing defense, giving up just 141.3 yards per game. If that number holds, it would be the program’s best mark since 1980.
That’s no small feat for a team sitting at 3-4 and still winless in Big Ten play. And it says plenty about what defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, along with assistants Terry Smith and Deon Broomfield, have built in the back end. Even with the defense struggling around them, Audavion Collins, Zion Tracy, Daryus Dixson, Jeremiah Cooper, Jamison Patton and Josiah Zayas have kept Penn State’s secondary steady.
Collins has been the headline act. He’s been as close to a shutdown corner as Penn State has had this season, and the numbers back it up.
According to Pro Football Focus, Collins has allowed only four catches on 14 targets over 150 coverage snaps, giving up just 28 receiving yards. Quarterbacks have completed only 28.6% of their throws when targeting him, and he’s allowed seven yards per completion.
His 78.8 coverage grade reflects that level of consistency, and PFF has him with five pass breakups. Penn State’s official stats are even more eye-catching: eight breakups, which ranks ninth nationally. Sports Illustrated also named him first-team midseason All-American, a fitting nod for one of the most effective coverage defenders in the country.
Tracy brings something different to the table. Lynn said Tuesday that Penn State has leaned more on him at safety, especially against USC and Michigan, because of how many spots he can handle.
“Zion’s a guy who can play boundary safety, he can play field safety, he can play in the slot, and he can play outside,” Lynn said. “He can kind of do it all.”
That flexibility matters because it lets Penn State change what it calls without constantly shuffling bodies on the field.
“When you put a guy like him at safety, it opens up some things that you can call that you probably couldn’t call if he wasn’t in the game,” Lynn explained.
Tracy has played 135 coverage snaps, allowing 11 completions on 14 targets for 88 yards. His 69.8 coverage grade doesn’t leap off the page, but his value goes beyond the stat line. Lynn made clear the staff trusts him in tough spots.
“Sometimes, they weren’t going to have any help, and he’s a guy that we trust in that position.”
He also grabbed an interception against Michigan.
Dixson has been another quiet winner in the secondary. Over 133 coverage snaps, he’s given up six catches on 15 targets for 91 yards. His 40% completion rate allowed and 80.4 coverage grade stand out, and he’s added an interception and two pass breakups.
Cooper’s season has been more complicated, mostly because of the health issues that followed him into the fall. Lynn said he missed spring practice and training camp because of injuries and came back earlier than expected.
“He was hurt all spring. He was hurt all camp, and he came back earlier than we expected,” Lynn said.
After the USC game, Penn State decided to ease up on his workload and give him more time to recover around the bye week. In 116 coverage snaps, Cooper has allowed 10 completions on 18 targets for 110 yards, and his 54.1 coverage grade shows there’s room for better play. Even so, his presence still matters to the depth of the group.
Patton has carved out a different kind of role. His coverage numbers are less polished, with seven catches allowed on eight targets for 118 yards, but he has been strong against the run. He owns a 90.2 run-defense grade and an 80.5 tackling grade, which stands out on a defense that has struggled with missed tackles and explosive runs.
Then there’s Zayas, who has shown up as one of the most promising young defenders on the roster. The freshman has allowed 13 receptions on 25 targets for 81 yards and owns an 81.3 coverage grade. That works out to just 6.2 yards allowed per catch, a strong sign of how well he limits damage even when the ball gets completed.
Zayas has also made plays on the ball, with two interceptions - one returned for a touchdown - plus a fumble recovery. On3 recognized that production with midseason True Freshman All-American honors.
What makes the secondary’s performance stand out even more is the state of the defense around it. Penn State is 105th nationally against the run, surrendering 172.3 yards per game, and those problems have helped fuel four straight conference losses.
There’s also the simple reality that a team willing to run may create fewer chances in the passing game. But the individual coverage work from Penn State’s defensive backs still matters. Those are the jobs they’re being asked to do, and most of them have done it well.
Lynn’s recruiting mindset helps explain why.
“We’re trying to recruit more just DBs,” Lynn said. “Not guys who are corner-only, not guys who are safety-only. Guys who are DBs.”
That approach values versatility, athleticism and players who can move around without giving away what the defense wants to do. Penn State may not have found its full defensive identity yet, but in the secondary, it has found something real to build on.
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Penn States quarterback work in the Class of 2027 has already taken a turn, with Will Wood flipping his commitment to Boston College and leaving the Nittany Lions back in the market. The move adds another layer to a position group the staff is still actively sorting through, and it puts even more attention on how Penn State plans to shape that class moving forward.
One of the names now in the mix is Ben Rolapp, a Boston College commit who has drawn multiple offers and followed up a strong 2025 season with a growing recruiting profile. Penn States offer to Rolapp makes the picture a little more complicated, and it underscores how the Nittany Lions are continuing to chase quarterback options even as the board keeps shifting around them. [Read more 🡒]
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Penn State May Need Arrington Back Sooner Than Fans Expected
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Against Purdue in Week 9, Arrington was absent from the availability report, a small but notable development for a defense still managing multiple injuries and a crowded injury list overall. For Penn State, the question is no longer just when Arrington gets back, but how quickly the Nittany Lions need him once he does, given the way the depth chart has been tested at one of the most demanding spots on the field. [Read more 🡒]