Despite immense roster turnover for Penn State football, the team’s secondary room remains stronger than ever, and Zion Tracy is a big reason why.

After a brief stint as the interim head coach, Terry Smith will return to his role as the team’s cornerbacks coach, where he will look to lead a group composed of a majority of returning talent. Among the Nittany Lion veterans is Tracy, who is poised for a breakout season, perhaps in more ways than one.

From Matt Campbell’s first preseason press conference, he has raved about Tracy’s versatility and talent. In 2025, Tracy continued to build on his breakout season the year prior, recording 32 total tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble, primarily at the nickel position.

But Campbell’s vision for the senior corner extends far beyond nickel. In fact, Penn State envisions Tracy taking on a prominent role not only as a corner, but also as a safety.

“I feel like every big game moment, [Tracy] has shown up and been an elite football player,” Campbell said. “I think Zion can be one of the best corners in the country. I think he’d be one of the best safeties in the country. When you have a chess piece like Zion, it gives you the ability to start to navigate the rest of the defensive structure around him.”

The biggest and most memorable moment of Tracy’s career came back in the team’s 2024 matchup with Ohio State, when he intercepted a Will Howard pass and returned it for six. He is no stranger to the spotlight, recording his two best games of the most recent season against No. 6 Oregon and No. 2 Indiana.

Tracy’s ability to slot in at multiple positions is something that new safeties coach Deon Broomfield is incredibly pumped about as well. 

Broomfield joined Campbell’s staff in Happy Valley after having worked under his leadership at Iowa State for five seasons. He brought over a handful of Cyclones after making the jump to Penn State, most notably Marcus Neal Jr. and Jeremiah Cooper. 

Even with the skill and depth of a room, Broomfield quickly took notice of just how valuable a piece Tracy would be to his position group. 

“We’ll find ways to put him as a high safety. We’re going to try to put him in every position to help the defense, because we feel like he could do that. He has that type of skillset,” Broomfield said. 

He also mentioned that there has been a relatively equal split between the time Tracy spends with him in the safeties group and with Smith and the cornerbacks group. While it’s normal to raise concerns about how sharing time with different position coaches might negatively affect a player, Broomfield emphasized how the strong communication among staff members makes for a seamless transition.

“Everybody’s speaking the same language, everybody is using the same terminology,” he said. “I think [Tracy’s] been able to digest it all. It’s exciting from a coaching perspective.”

At the team’s first practice available for media viewing, Tracy was seen taking numerous reps at safety and also spent time working on returning punts. After returning 15 punts for 87 yards back in 2024, he took a step back from this role last season. 

His multi-faceted early-season work shows just how much this new staff entrusts him as he aims to step into a leadership position in the upcoming season.

Between Tracy, Jamir Joseph, Audavion Collins, Daryus Dixson, and all the way down the line, Penn State has a lot to work with this year when it comes to defensive backs. 

“I haven’t had this type of depth and this type of playing experience before in one room,” Broomfield said.

Campbell and his assistant are eager to explore different defensive combinations that will help the Nittany Lions put forth the best product possible. The head coach is excited by the group’s depth and youth, but keeps coming back to Tracy when talking about who will elevate this team to the next level.

“Zion Tracy is one of the best football players that I’ve coached,” Campbell said.