Penn State has a new favorite word in its defensive backs room, and it starts with Zion.
Safeties coach Deon Broomfield has been using “Zionesque” to describe the kind of versatile, do-everything talent the Nittany Lions have in Jeremiah Cooper and Zion Tracy. It’s not a label for just one spot on the field. It’s a shorthand for defensive backs who can line up anywhere and cause problems everywhere.
Broomfield called Cooper “a dynamic playmaker” and praised the way he can impact a game when healthy. Cooper, who can play safety or corner, was a first-team All-Big 12 selection at safety in 2023. He is also working his way back from an ACL injury he suffered in 2025.
“When he’s healthy, you’re going to see a guy that, his history as a player, he’s been able to take away the football. He’s a physical kid, he’s a veteran.
“(We) get another kind of chess piece (in Cooper), he’s very ‘Zionesque’ in terms of the things he can do. Inside, outside, he can play all five on the back end.”
Asked what “Zionesque” actually means, Broomfield tied it to the same kind of all-purpose skill set Tracy brings.
“Dynamic athletes that you can ask to do a lot of things,” Broomfield said.
“Man, they can cover the slot, they can blitz. They can play in the box. They have unique skill sets.”
Tracy, a senior, was Penn State’s primary option at nickel last season, though that role could shift in 2026. He might stay there again, move outside, or even be used at safety by defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
Campbell has already made it clear how highly he views Tracy. In the spring, he said, “(Tracy) is one of the best football players that I’ve coached, to be quite honest with you, in terms of talent and ability,” and added, “I feel like every game and big moment, that guy has showed up and has been an elite football player. I think Zion can be one of the best corners in the country.
“I think he can be one of the best safeties in the country. He can play nickel. He can do a lot.”
Tracy’s production backed up that versatility last year. He finished with 32 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
Broomfield also pointed to Tracy’s athletic profile, especially the combination of burst and long speed that makes him so hard to categorize.
“He has, like, elite athleticism in terms of, zero to 60 (miles per hour),” Broomfield said of Tracy.
“He can change direction. When you talk about vertical speed, he has that, as well.
“Usually, a guy is kinda like one or the other. He can possess both of those things.”
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