If you’re reading this, you probably love Terry Smith.

Before taking on the role of Penn State’s interim head coach after James Franklin’s firing last season, Smith was the program’s associate head coach and led the cornerback room. While he himself never played the position in his Penn State playing career, he’s made a name for himself nationwide as one of the best cornerback developers and coaches over the last dozen years.

Most people expected Smith to follow Franklin to Virginia Tech and take over the Hokies’ group, but Smith’s ties to Penn State kept him in Happy Valley with a whole lot of roster turnover to navigate.

While the cornerback room is nowhere near the most affected group by the influx of Matt Campbell’s Iowa State transfers, there are still plenty of new and returning faces for Smith to balance out going into 2026.

Projected Starters

After a disastrous season under Jim Knowles, Penn State and Campbell decided to flip the page to former USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Lynn is known for running a 3-4 base defense that frequently morphs into nickel packages, meaning he isn’t afraid to put another corner on the field when need be.

However, Penn State has a clear CB1 before things get too complicated. Zion Tracy.

Campbell said early on through spring practices that Tracy was one of the best players he’s ever coached. He said Tracy could be one of the best cornerbacks in the country in 2026.

“It makes me feel good, honestly. It puts that like, kind of pressure on me, but I kind of like the pressure just for me to back that up and really prove it,” Tracy said after Penn State’s Blue-White Practice.

While it seems that Tracy will primarily focus on corner in 2026, as he has in previous years, he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in other parts of the secondary under the new system.

“We’ll find ways to put him as a high safety if there’s a matchup possibility. We’re going to try to put him in every position to help the defense, because we feel like he can do that,” safeties coach Deon Broomfield said in March.

Tracy posted 32 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two passes defended in 2025. Fans can expect him to play nickel, safety, and regular corner throughout the season.

On the other hand, Penn State has another returning corner who got meaningful reps through the back half of 2025 in Daryus Dixson. The sophomore opted to run it back with the Nittany Lions, and he’s now staring right at a starting spot opposite Tracy on Lynn’s defense.

Dixson appeared in 13 games and started two for Penn State in 2025. He posted 24 total tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and six pass breakups.

“He just seems, when he’s out there, he makes plays and he delivers. And so we got to get guys like that out into the field … That’s a playmaker,” Smith said ahead of Penn State’s 28-10 win over Michigan State in November. “We got to get those guys on the field because those guys have a knack to make plays and turnovers change games.”

No matter the roster turnover, the Nittany Lions are shaping up to have two returning players lead the room in 2026.

Another player to watch is four-star Iowa State transfer Jeremiah Cooper. He played three seasons as a safety for the Cyclones but lined up as a corner for most of the 2025 season. Don’t be surprised to see Cooper on the field at multiple defensive back positions as Campbell and Smith try to find a spot for everyone in an uber-talented group.

Supporting Cast

While Audavion Collins can definitely earn the full-time starting gig in front of Dixson (Collins started all 13 games at the position in 2025), he might take a backseat in the new-look defense. Dixson earned a lot of respect, recognition, and playing time at the end of 2025. Collins is more experienced, but the new staff may prefer younger blood.

Nonetheless, Collins is easily the biggest name heading into 2026 outside of Tracy and Dixson. He was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and is poised for another busy year.

In the vein of Dixson, Jahmir Joseph got a lot of run last season, even notching a late 49-yard pick-six in Penn State’s early win over Villanova. Campbell was vocal about how impressed he has been with Joseph so far, citing him as one of the program’s most talented young players. Smith also said in October that Joseph could be an effective choice at nickel.

“To me, it’s kind of crazy, because I wonder how Terry [Smith] continues to bring in these elite corners year after year, not knowing where they come from,” former Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris said in September. “Like, how did he get somebody from Mater Dei? Who knows, but Terry does a good job at it. But to me, Jahmir [Joseph] and both Daryus [Dixson] elite players, and they will be elite at Penn State, and that’s no question.”

Development Pieces

Another Iowa State transfer in Penn State’s cornerback room is redshirt freshman Hunter Sowell, who made one appearance for the Cyclones last season against Kansas. He has no career stats, but he registered seven pass breakups and two interceptions in his senior year at Atascocita High School in Texas.

Penn State also has a young core of returning players like Xxavier Thomas, Joshua Johnson, Donte Nastasi, Tyler Armstead, and Max Heffner. Thomas, Johnson, and Armstead all at least saw the field in 2025, with Johnson receiving reps in three games and registering a solo tackle. Don’t be surprised if any of these guys make their way into the rotation.

The true freshmen include Josiah Zayas and Tyrell Chatman, who both flipped from Iowa State. Campbell doesn’t regularly play freshmen, and with the cornerback room already so strong at the top, it’d be surprising if either of them touches the Beaver Stadium grass in 2026.

They will be a nice project for Smith and Co., however.