Penn State football’s secondary will have a few new faces this season. After losing key pieces such as KJ Winston, Jaylen Reed, and Jalen Kimber to the NFL, first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will still have a plethora of talent to hold down the last layer of defense.

Returning starters such as A.J. Harris and Zakee Wheatley will be of massive importance in rebuilding the Nittany Lion secondary. Unlike last season, Penn State will run mostly a 4-2-5 scheme, adding a fifth defensive back instead of a third linebacker.

Let’s take a look at what the depth chart could look like for Penn State’s secondary.

Cornerback:

Starters: A.J. Harris, Elliot Washington II

Bench: Audavion Collins, Daryus Dixson, Tyler Armstead, Donte Nastasi, Jahmir Joseph, Joshua Johnson, Xxavier Thomas.

Former Georgia transfer A.J. Harris returns for his junior year with a year of starting experience under his belt. Harris was an integral part of the Penn State secondary last season, racking up 56 total tackles, including 31 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, five defended passes, and an interception in 15 starts at the cornerback position.

Elliot Washington II is a talented junior who played in 14 games last season, making one start. The Nittany Lion finished with 26 tackles, including 18 solo tackles, a half-tackle for loss, six pass breakups, and an interception.

A decent backup option includes Audavion Collins, who appeared in 16 games last season. Collins made 26 tackles, including 19 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup, and an interception. Daryus Dixson also has a chance to get some reps as a talented freshman. As of Monday’s press conference, James Franklin announced that he would be burning his redshirt. Look out for some reps from the true freshman out of Mater Dei High School this season.

Between these players, Penn State’s cornerback depth and experience should make for a great neutralizer for offensive wideouts this season.

Safety:

Starters: Zakee Wheatley, Antoine Belgrave-Shorter

Bench: Dejuan Lane, King Mack, Vaboue Toure, Lamont Payne Jr., Braz Thomas, Karson Kiesewetter, Jashaun Green.

Returning for his final season, Wheatley will serve as a primary leader for the Penn State secondary. The redshirt senior started all 16 games for the Nittany Lions last season, finishing with 96 total tackles, including 58 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and four pass breakups. He was named the coaching staff’s Defensive Player of the Game versus Boise State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals. The safety finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten in interceptions.

At Monday’s press conference, Franklin announced that redshirt freshman Antoine Belgrave-Shorter will get the majority of starting reps at safety for the time being. Although he mostly participated on special teams last season, Belgrave-Shorter has had an impressive camp thus far. According to Franklin, the Jacksonville, Florida, native led the team in interceptions and turnovers during camp and has shown a great level of consistency in his preparation. The Nittany Lion appeared in seven games, making six total tackles, and was named the coaching staff’s Developmental Squad Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against Wisconsin.

Notable reserves include sophomore Dejuan Lane and junior King Mack. Lane appeared in 16 games as a true freshman last season, notching 14 tackles, including eight solo tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception. Mack, a solid safety who returns to Penn State after a year at Alabama, has mostly contributed on special teams for Penn State thus far in his collegiate career. Franklin noted both players will be rotated into the lineup a lot.

Wheatley is the clear-cut leader of this group, and some young talent will need to step up to replace the two NFL-caliber safeties that came before them.

Nickel:

Starters: Zion Tracy

Bench: Kenny Woseley Jr., Kolin Dinkins.

As a sophomore, Tracy started four games last season but made an appearance in all 16 games for the Nittany Lions. He posted 35 tackles, including 30 solo tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, a pass breakup, two interceptions, including a pick-six of 31 yards against Ohio State. Tracy seems to be the heavy favorite to win the starting nickel position, adding to the depth of Penn State’s flexible secondary.

Woseley Jr. and Dinkins were both mentioned at Franklin’s press conference on Monday. The head coach made it clear that the two reserves will be highly important on a rotational basis. However, Franklin was adamant that Tracy’s experience and continued progression make him a key piece of the Penn State defense.