Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1492675
4 6 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / E r n e s t A n d e rs o n c o u l d tell right away what had separated Zion Tracy from his competition at Long Island Lu- theran. The St. Thomas More head coach had heard through a friend that Tracy, a four-star cornerback as rated by On3, might be a good fit at his Con- necticut prep school. After checking out the tape, Anderson understood completely. "We looked at the film and you just instantly saw that he was moving at a different speed than everybody else," the coach recalled. The Penn State's staff saw it, too. Tracy had registered to compete as a receiver at a pair of PSU summer football camps but then changed his mind and participated with the defensive backs. In those appear- ances, he displayed physicality and an ability to quickly change direction. He also ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, and though he was registered as a defen- sive back, he showed that he could catch the ball, too. Tracy had enrolled at St. Thomas More after pulling out of a verbal commitment to Temple following a coaching change and reclassifying as a 2023 recruit. He fo- cused primarily on offense throughout his high school career, but Anderson made sure he also spent time on the defensive side of the ball. "I've never seen anyone move as well as he does. We've had some great ones here, too. We've got some really, really talented players, and he's probably the best pure athlete I think we've ever had," Anderson said. "He could be a Power Five wide re- ceiver or a Power Five corner- back. When the pads came on, there was no difference. He just moves at a different speed than everybody else, and he has these long arms, too." Tracy committed to Penn State in September, in large part because of the trust he had built up with the Nittany Lions' staff. "Their coaches were just upfront and honest with me the entire time," he said. "Whether it was bad or good, they were always telling me what I needed to hear, not just what I wanted to hear. I appreci- ated that." ■ Zion Tracy Speedy prospect could excel on either side of the ball N AT E B A U E R | N A T E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Tracy dazzled Penn State's coaching staff during two summer camp appearances. He displayed excellent coverage skills while also running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. PHOTO COURTESY TRACY FAMILY CB | 5-11 | 175 St. Thomas More (Conn.) Hempstead, N.Y. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHH 504 55 3 On3 HHHH 200 22 1 ESPN HHH — — — Rivals HHH — 89 5 247Sports HHH — 69 4 Statistics • As a senior at Long Island Lutheran in 2021, finished with 500 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on offense, while also totaling 3 interceptions on defense • Scored 4 receiving touchdowns during an abbreviated 2020 season • Totaled 520 receiving yards and 12 touch- downs in his first two high school seasons Notable • Helped Long Island Lutheran go 7-1 in 2021 and 8-0 in 2019 • Played basketball at Long Island Lutheran and earned team MVP recognition Recruitment • Initially was a member of Temple's 2022 class but decommitted and reclassified as a 2023 prospect after Owls coach Rod Carey was fired • Committed to Penn State on Sept. 10, 2022 • Selected the Nittany Lions over Buffalo, Rutgers and Syracuse • Officially visited on Sept. 9, 2022 • Enrolled in January 2023 2023 Projection Tracy is slightly older than most of his 2023 classmates due to his decision to reclassify, and he brings intriguing athleticism to PSU along with that extra year of high school preparation. That said, he spent much of his time at St. Thomas More playing receiver, and it's unclear how that might affect his timeline at Penn State. They Said It Ernest Anderson, St. Thomas More head coach: "He came in here with a goal. He wanted to be the best student-athlete he could be. He wanted to grow academically, he wanted to grow athletically, he wanted to grow socially, and he accomplished all of his goals." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "With elite speed and explosiveness in a relatively compact frame, Tracy is an excellent can- didate to play either the field or slot corner- back roles in coordinator Manny Diaz's de- fensive system. His length will allow him to play outside, and his good timing on blitzes means he can do it all from the slot. With the Nittany Lion coaching staff prioritizing the secondary, having more bodies is always an advantage." T H E T R A C Y F I L E