Penn State Secondary Focusing on Versatility Entering 2026

“Multiplicity” is a word that’s been thrown around by Penn State coaches and players this offseason, and the place where that’s most evident is in the secondary.

With defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s scheme designed to keep offenses guessing, the ability to swap roles in the back end is critical.

Safety Jeremiah Cooper is a prime example, having served as an emergency cornerback at Iowa State last season. Though he was thrust into an uncomfortable situation, Cooper improved his coverage skills and has the ability to wear multiple hats in the secondary.

“It just makes the playbook more flexible,” Cooper said Thursday. “[Lynn] can call a lot more things, put us in a lot more places, put us all over the field. It puts us in more opportunities to make plays. He trusts us.”

That trust stems from Cooper’s time spent playing on the perimeter, even if he was working under a different defensive coordinator at the time. While safeties and cornerbacks share roles that often look similar, mastering the nuances of playing man coverage provided Cooper with a comprehensive view of the entire defensive structure.

“Corner and safety are kind of the same thing, but if you really play it, the techniques are two completely different things,” Cooper said. “So just learning the corner technique, I can translate that into my safety work. They both work hand in hand. Just playing corner and playing safety, I’m experiencing everything, and that’s what helped me.”

Speaking at Penn State’s local media day, Cooper noted that Lynn’s collaborative approach has made adapting to a new defensive system smooth for transfers and returning veterans.

“Yeah, it’s been amazing,” Cooper said. “He’s a very smart coach. Just the opportunities he brings us, the defenses, the whole scheme is just amazing to learn. It was a lot different at Iowa State, our scheme. So, I mean, just picking up on his defense and on his tendencies, it’s just amazing to learn.”

Cooper isn’t the only safety leaning into that fluidity. Teammate Jamison Patton views communication and vision as essential components of taking on multiple responsibilities on the field.

“For sure. Just not being one-dimensional and being able to move around,” Patton said on Thursday. “I feel like my superpower is communication and anticipation, getting guys on the same page, knowing what the offense is doing, and just doing my 1/11th for sure.”

That was evident during seven-on-seven action earlier in fall camp when Patton and cornerback Audavion Collins accidentally covered the same receiver and had to converse after the play to straighten out the error.

The freedom for safeties to play inside, outside and in the box is allowed by strong coverage on the outside. At local media day, Cooper expressed total confidence in the cornerback unit’s ability to hold down their side of the ball.

“Our corner room, I mean, it’s mixed with young cats. Daryus [Dixson] has a bright, bright future, mixed in with experienced veterans, Zion [Tracy], AC, and then also a young cat Jahmir [Joseph],” Cooper said. “So you have a lot of people in that group that just love to grow together, that are so close, and I think have a lot of talent. So I know that they’re going to make a lot of plays and let us make a lot of plays as well.”

The speedy secondary is balanced out by physical enforcer Marcus Neal Jr., who spends much of his time in the box and is considered the most violent tackler on the team. His ability to line up in different spots brings another element to the secondary.

“He’s crazy,” Cooper said. “He’s gonna always run to that ball; he’s gonna go hit you. I mean, that’s kind of what I love about Marcus. He’s just gonna put it all on the line for us, his teammates. He’s such a selfless person we wouldn’t trade Marcus for anybody, man.”

While Cooper continues his rehab following an ACL injury from last season, his preparation off the field hasn’t slowed down as he targets a return for Week 1. Despite missing out on reps with his teammates at practice, he feels confident from watching film and sitting in meeting rooms that he understands Lynn’s scheme.

While it’s geared to create confusion for offenses, the scheme remains simple to learn for the Nittany Lions, who need to pick it up quickly. With fall camp past the halfway point, Patton sees the defense peaking at the right time.

“Just the banked reps through the summer and through this offseason, and just growing together and spending time together,” Patton said. “I feel like each phase of the offseason has just been gradual growth, and I’m excited to continue to put it all together.”