‘One of the Best I’ve Coached’: Matt Campbell Sounds Off On Penn State’s Next Superstar

Penn State Football, Zion Tracy Penn State Nittany Lions defensive back Zion Tracy (Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images)

‘One of the Best I’ve Coached’: Matt Campbell Sounds Off On Penn State’s Next Superstar

Originally posted on Nittany Central | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated May 5, 2026 1:31 PM ET

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When the 2026 season kicks off, the Penn State Football defense is going to be almost unrecognizable from the unit that underachieved through much of the Nittany Lions‘ disappointing 2025 campaign.

The amount of talent that the Lions are going to need to replace could either be a setback, or a launching pad for a defense that seems to be built to physically impose its will on opponents with a blend of explosiveness and veteran savviness.

Penn State’s Defensive Overhaul: Out with the Old, In with the Elite

Still, Dani Dennis-Sutton is a Green Bay Packer, chosen in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, Zakee Wheatley pulled down a Carolina Panthers cap after being chosen in the fifth round, and five of new coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s starters may take the field after landing in Happy Valley out of the transfer portal.

However, head coach Matt Campbell has rave reviews from what he’s seen from one of Penn State‘s stalwarts in the secondary who could be primed to elevate his game to the next level this fall.

The Zion Tracy Files: From Consistent Contributor to Force Multiplier

Penn State cornerback Zion Tracy isn’t just tangible consistency in the Nittany Lions’ secondary, he has the potential to be a force multiplier and Swiss-Army Knife type weapon for Lynn this season.

Last fall, Tracy‘s play continuously improved, finishing the season with 32 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

Based on what Campbell saw on film from Tracy‘s standout sophomore season, and from his performance during spring practices, the first-year head coach believes the 5-foot-11 and 180-pound cornerback has a lofty ceiling in 2026.

“The one young man that has stood out to me from the day that I’ve gotten here to where we’re at is Zion Tracy,” Campbell recently told reporters. “He is one of the best football players that I’ve coached, to be quite honest with you, in terms of talent, ability and … being great in the moment.”

“I feel like every game, big moment, that guy has showed up and been an elite football player,” the coach added. “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. When you have a chess piece like Zion, it gives you the ability to start to kind of navigate the rest of the defensive structure kind of around him.”

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Beyond the Secondary: Why Tracy is the Catalyst for 2026

Penn State Football, Zion Tracy Penn State cornerback Zion Tracy could be a foundational piece to the Nittany Lions’ defense in 2026. (Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images)

Campbell already labeling him one of the most talented players he’s ever coached, Tracy appears poised to transition from a consistent contributor to the cornerstone of the Nittany Lions’ defensive reinvention.

If he can live up to that “chess piece” billing, Tracy won’t just be filling a void in the secondary—he’ll be the catalyst that restores Penn State’s defense to elite status.