Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M on the team with 4 tackles, all solo stops. Two of those tackles were for losses, and he added 2 quarterback hurries, a pass breakup, and the play of the afternoon: a strip sack of quarterback Joe Pesansky on which he scooped up the bouncing ball, rumbled 39 yards and nearly scored before being brought down at the FIU 5-yard line with 1:22 to play. "You guys are starting to see what we have," Franklin said after the game. "I think you're going to continue to see him take strides. He's quick, he's twitchy, he's athletic. He's about 250 pounds, and he looks skinny. His ball awareness today to be able to get the strip sack and then scoop it up and run away with it are some cool things. You're just going to see him keep getting better." Coleman also saw action in Penn State's opener against Nevada, playing 22 snaps and finishing without any stats. He shined against FIU the next week with 4 tackles (2 for loss) and followed up that performance with a TFL and a QB hurry in PSU's 52-6 victory over Vil- lanova in Week 3. Through Penn State's first three games, he had 5 tackles and was tied for third with 3 TFLs, receiving an 88.8 defensive grade from PFF — be- hind only Dennis-Sutton (91.5). It was an impressive showing by a player who arrived at Penn State in the offseason amid relatively little fanfare. A quarterback and defensive end at Warren G. Harding High, Cole- man didn't receive an offer from Penn State until early in his senior season. He ended up visiting PSU in Novem- ber and committed shortly afterward. While Ohio State made a late push to flip him, the Lions were able to fend off their border rival and earn his signa- ture in December. Coleman finished the 2025 recruit- ing cycle listed as the nation's No. 203 overall player and No. 25 edge defender in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Harding head coach Matt Richardson described him as a "raw" prospect, noting that he "hasn't even scratched the surface yet. Once he gets his weight up and learns how to use his hands and all that, the sky's the limit." That assessment is looking more ac- curate by the day. Coleman's new team- mates certainly agree that the young de- fensive end has a bright future. "It's just his athletic ability and his feel for the game" that have impressed, red- shirt senior safety Zakee Wheatley said following the FIU game. "He's young, he's explosive, he can be around the ball. You saw it today, but I've seen it all camp. I already know he's got a lot more in store to show you. He's definitely special." ■ Penn State welcomed two veterans back from injuries during its 34-0 victory over Florida International in Week 2 — super senior defensive end Zuriah Fisher, who missed the entire 2024 season as well as this year's opener against Nevada, and ju- nior defensive back Zion Tracy, who missed just the Nevada game. Both players were a big part of the rota- tion at their respective position groups and figure to have major roles on the defense going forward. Fisher played 34 snaps in PSU's shutout victory over the Panthers, which was second only to the 46 reps that senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton received. He didn't have any tackles but looked explosive in his first action in more than a year. Tracy saw 20 snaps at the nickel position and finished with 1 tackle. Coach James Franklin said he was excited to have both defenders back on the field. Fisher's return was particularly satisfying given the length of his absence. "It was great having him back," Franklin said. "He probably played a little bit more than I wanted him to play in terms of rep count, but he looked quick off the ball, looked confident. Mentally, he looked confident. Physically, he looked confident. Emotion- ally, he had a big smile on his face and was flying around having fun. We're young at defensive end, so that experience and that leadership is important for us." Tracy, who made four starts and had a pair of interceptions last year, had been penciled in as the starter at the nickel spot follow- ing a strong offseason. He was set to join a number of other veteran players in the PSU secondary such as redshirt senior safety Zakee Wheatley and junior cornerbacks A.J. Harris, Audavion Collins and Elliot Washing- ton II. Although Tracy's 2025 debut was later than expected, it was wel- come nonetheless. "Having Zion back, I thought, was significant," Franklin said. "The guy has played a ton of football around here, has made some big- time plays and had big moments for us. We're going to need that to continue. "When you have him, and then you have A.J., and you've got Za- kee and Elliot and Collins, there are a lot of guys who have played a lot of football in the back half. That'll be important for us." Fisher and Tracy both started Penn State's nonconference finale against Villanova on Sept. 13. Fisher finished with 2 tackles, while Tracy had 1. — Greg Pickel "He's an exciting young player, and he's an awesome young man. His family has done a really good job of raising him. But I'm not going to talk about him too much, because I want to keep him humble and hungry." J A M E S F R A N K L I N O N C O L E M A N FISHER TRACY Zuriah Fisher And Zion Tracy Make A Welcome Return To Defense