Penn State Football Position Battle to Watch: Cornerback Room Loaded with Star Power
Penn State Football returns one of the deepest cornerback rooms in the Big Ten in 2025.
However, after an NFL draft decision from Jalen Kimber this offseason, there is one starting position at cornerback up for grabs this offseason opposite rising star AJ Harris.
Luckily for Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, the Nittany Lions have a wealth of talent to replace Kimber in the starting rotation next season.
In 2024, five Penn State cornerbacks, including Kimber and Cam Miller (who transferred to Rutgers this offseason), played in all 16 games for the Nittany Lions, with rising junior Elliot Washington II playing in 14 games after missing two with an injury.
With so many talented players to choose from, Terry Smith will have his work cut out for him this spring and summer before Penn State kicks off in game one against Nevada August 30.
Here are names to know in Penn State’s cornerback position battle
The Current Favorite: Junior Elliot Washington II
Rising junior Elliot Washington II played in 14 games for the Nittany Lions last fall, missing the second half of the Purdue game and the games against Minnesota and Maryland to end the regular season.
Despite missing 2.5 games last season, Washington II ranked fifth in the cornerback room in total tackles in 2024 with 26 and recorded the most passes defended of any Penn State cornerback.
Heading into 2025, Washington II is fully locked in on the starting cornerback position battle, winning all five “competitor of the day” honors during winter workouts so far for the cornerbacks room.
Earlier this month, Penn State strength coach called out Elliot Washington’s performance this winter, noting “He’s always been a high horsepower guy for us, but I think he’s also a guy who understands the role that he needs to be in for us this year, and I’ve seen a difference in him.”
With the hype surrounding Washington II this offseason, I would expect Washington II to be the favorite entering spring practice to take the second starting position at cornerback in 2025.
Contenders
Junior Zion Tracy
Rising junior Zion Tracy is another cornerback who played a ton for the Nittany Lions in 2024, making four starts and playing in all 16 games last season.
In 2024, Tracy recorded 35 tackles, one sack, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and a pass breakup. Tracy also returned punts for the Nittany Lions in the absence of Kaden Saunders, returning 15 punts for 87 yards on the season.
\Tracy’s best moment of the season came in the first drive against Ohio State, when Tracy picked off Will Howard and returned the interception for a touchdown to give Penn State a 10-0 lead.
With 29 career games under his belt, Tracy is primed to take the next step in 2025. Whether he wins the starting job opposite Harris or not, Tracy will play a major role on Penn State’s defense in 2025.
Redshirt Junior Audavion Collins
After appearing in six games in 2023 during his redshirt freshman season at Penn State after transferring from Mississippi State, Audavion Collins took a major step forward in 2024 for the Nittany Lions.
Collins appeared in all 16 games last season, recording 26 tackles, two tackles for a loss, an interception, a sack, and a pass breakup. While some of Collins highlights came during fourth quarter cleanup duty, including his first career interception against Maryland, Collins role steadily increased as the season progressed.
If Collins continues his progression from last season, he could once again see his role on the defense expand in 2025 and compete for the starting cornerback job.
Darkhorses
Redshirt Freshman Antoine Belgrave-Shorter
Antoine Belgrave-Shorter appeared in seven games during his true freshman season, keeping his redshirt intact coming into 2025.
Belgrave-Shorter recorded six tackles and was named the Penn State staff’s developmental squad special teams player of the week against Wisconsin. Coming into 2025, Belgrave-Shorter has an opportunity to increase his role on the defense, but likely will not yet factor heavily into the starting competition.
Redshirt Freshman Jon Mitchell
Another rising redshirt freshman, Jon Mitchell played in six games last season for the Nittany Lions, positing five tackles. Mitchell earned honors as the Penn State staff’s special teams player of the game in Penn State’s playoff game against SMU and as the staff’s developmental squad defensive player of the week against Wisconsin.
Like Belgrave-Shorter, Mitchell will probably need to take a massive leap to play a factor in the starting competition, but could see an increased role in 2025 as a depth piece.
Freshman Daryus Dixson
Typically, a true freshman would be an afterthought in competition for a starting role on a defense of Penn State’s caliber. However, Terry Smith has shown in the past that any player can carve out a role if they are good enough to see the field. Dixson is a four-star, top-100 prospect that early enrolled from the 2025 class in January for Penn State.
Whether he can immediately adapt to the college game will be seen during spring and fall camps, but don’t count out Dixson to put himself in position to see the field this fall.
However the spring and fall competition goes in the cornerbacks room for Penn State, the Nittany Lions defense should be in good hands this fall with plenty of talent at the position ready to step up into a bigger role.
Junior AJ Harris could be one of the best cornerbacks in the country next season and there are plenty of players competing to earn a larger role opposite Harris.
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