Out with the old, in with the Cyclones.
After losing a massive chunk of last year’s production, Penn State’s safety room has been completely revitalized by a trio of impact Iowa State transfers who already know their new coach’s system inside and out.
New safeties coach Deon Broomfield, who served as the defensive backs coach for the Cyclones last season, has previous experience with all three and should know how to utilize them effectively this fall despite representing a new school.
Here’s the outlook for the safety room.
Marcus Neal Jr.
Neal boasts All-American potential coming off an impressive sophomore campaign in Ames, where he amassed 77 tackles, three pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack.
The tape shows a rangy and physical safety who plays with great instincts and creates plays in key moments. He earned the second-highest PFF grade among Iowa State defenders last season and was ranked as a top-10 safety in the transfer portal by 247Sports.
Jeremiah Cooper
Cooper is expected to start opposite Neal and is graded as the best player on the team per the EA College Football 27 video game as a 91 overall.
He started last season playing cornerback due to a severe injury bug at the position before going down with an ACL injury after just three games. He impressed during limited time, allowing just five receptions on 14 targets with a pick, but he confirmed he’ll return to his natural position of safety this fall.
It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from Cooper given he hasn’t played safety snaps since 2024, but the ceiling is high for the four-star transfer.
Jamison Patton
Additionally, Patton arrives with ample experience with the Cyclones, boasting 79 career tackles with four interceptions across 873 snaps.
He’s shown flashes but has also been inconsistent at times, allowing 15.4 yards per reception last season, per PFF. Patton is expected to factor into the two-deep and see meaningful time this year.
Depth
Another name to watch is returning Nittany Lion Vaboue Toure, who saw 90 snaps last season with 13 tackles and a sack. He should see the field in some capacity, but likely won’t step into a starting role until 2027.
Despite having elite talent at the top end, the room could get into trouble with an injury or two throughout the year due to a lack of proven names behind the two-deep.
