Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
M A Y 2 0 2 6 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M along the defensive line to support that philosophy. The goal isn't just versatility, it's controlled physicality. Versatility does have its limits. Not ev- ery defensive back has every skill in equal measure. Being a hybrid player typically means you're also missing another component of a positional definition. Tracy brings elite range and man coverage abil- ity, but the drop-off else- where is real. In addition, Patton allowed a 75 per- cent completion rate in zone coverage last season, with 18.3 yards per recep- tion and a 125.2 passer rating allowed. In limited man coverage, he surrendered a touchdown. Neal performed better but was rarely tested in true zone-coverage situations. In man coverage, he allowed completions on all 5 targets for 50 yards. Jeremiah Cooper's return adds another layer of uncertainty. The redshirt senior suffered a season-ending ACL injury in practice at Iowa State last September but was part of the talent influx that followed Campbell's arrival in State College. He's got a familiar-looking résumé, and he'll be healthy again this fall. "He's very similar to Tracy," Broom- field said. "He can play corner, he can play nickel, he can play safety. He's been with me in the safety room, learning it, but he's learning nickel. He's learning both safety positions. We're going to use the same mindset: Where can we plug them in to help us the most?" For much of spring practice, Tracy didn't get any reps at outside corner- back. Instead, he lined up as a hybrid player, with some reps coming as a nickel and others as a traditional safety. He was confident that the role will make the best use of his skill set. "Being 10 yards back, I'll be able to see more," he said. "When motions happen, I'll be able to pick that up. At nickel, I'm closer to the ball, so if something hap- pens quick, it's right in front of me. It can be easy to miss things like that." While he still spends most of his individual time with his fellow cor- nerbacks and position m e n to r Te r r y S m i t h , Tracy has been a floater who has filled gaps in an evolving Penn State sec- ondary. Smith described him as a "Swiss army knife." "He's a tremendous talent," the vet- eran Penn State assistant said. "He's got a lot of potential. He's made some big plays and played a lot of football here. Coach [Campbell] is getting to know him and seeing him for the first time. Zion will be a major contributor for us. I love him to death, and he's going to make some plays for us. We're trying to get him to be consistent, one play after another." ■ "I think Zion can be one of the best corners in the country. I think he can be one of the best safeties in the country. He can play nickel. He can do a lot." M A T T C A M P B E L L Among returning Penn State players, Tracy's 32 tackles last season rank second behind only senior cornerback Audavion Collins (47). PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS