Penn State’s projected first-team defense has a clear calling card: the secondary looks like the deepest, most versatile part of the unit.
That’s a big reason new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is expected to lean on plenty of 4-2-5 looks. The front has size and experience, but the back end gives this group its most obvious strength, with multiple players who can move around and handle different jobs.
Up front, Penn State is set to roll out a bigger interior than it did a year ago. R-Sr.
Keanu Williams, a 6-5, 317-pound transfer from UCLA, is expected to anchor one tackle spot after making 23 starts for the Bruins. Beside him, the Lions could go with another former Bruin in R-Sr.
Siale Taupaki, who checks in at 6-2, 326, or R-So. Armstrong Nnodim, a 6-2, 310-pound option who deserves attention because he could wind up leading the group in tackles for loss.
On the edge, R-Sr. Ike Ezeogu brings the most size, listed at 6-5 and 273.
He started 12 games over the last two seasons at Iowa State and may be asked to handle multiple spots. Across from him, So.
Yvan Kemajou gives Penn State another developing piece after appearing in 10 games as a true freshman and finishing with 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry in the final three games.
The linebackers sit in the middle of all that beef, and the pair projected there can do a little bit of everything. R-Jr.
Tony Rojas was off to a strong start before a season-ending knee injury in Penn State’s fourth game, and he brings a rare mix of blitzing, coverage and run-stopping ability. Next to him is Sr.
Kooper Ebel, a two-year starter at Iowa State who posted eight tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and three pass breakups in 2025.
The secondary is where this defense really starts to pop. So.
Daryus Dixson emerged as one of Penn State’s most improved defenders by the end of the 2025 season and now looks ready for a bigger stage. R-Sr.
Audavion Collins adds veteran polish at corner after making 13 starts last season and showing off his man-to-man skills. He was also a valuable gunner on punt coverage.
At safety, Jr. Marcus Neal Jr. arrives with a strong resume from Iowa State, where he earned All-Big 12 honors and put up 77 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Alongside him, R-Sr. Jeremiah Cooper returns to the spot where he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023 after spending last season at corner before a knee injury.
Zion Tracy rounds out the projected first unit at nickel, and like Cooper, he can line up just about anywhere in the secondary.
Penn State also has some useful depth waiting behind those starters. The edge rotation gets a boost with Max Granville healthy again after missing all of 2025 with a long-term injury, while Colorado transfer Alexander McPherson enters his sophomore season with room to grow.
At safety, Jamison Patton made three starts for Iowa State in 2025, and Josiah Zayas is also expected to see snaps this fall. Redshirt freshman cornerback Jahmir Joseph turned heads in the Pinstripe Bowl last December and could factor into the mix as well.
Special teams has its own set of reliable pieces. So.
Nathan Tiyce is projected to handle punting after working in nine games for Mississippi State last season, where he averaged 39 yards on 12 attempts. At kicker, R-Jr.
Ryan Barker is back after a near-perfect year, hitting 18 of 19 field goals and setting Penn State’s single-season record for field goal percentage at 94.7.
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Meanwhile, the quarterback room is moving on around him. Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters has praised Kase Evans for his development, while the depth chart features senior Rocco Becht and redshirt sophomore Alex Manske as the current options at the position. With Falzones role still unsettled, the bigger question is whether his next real decision comes after the 2026 season, when he may finally have a clearer picture of where he fits or whether a transfer becomes part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]