Why this Penn State football player may ‘be one of the best … ever’ in 2025

• Penn State’s cornerback group is expected to be one of the strongest units on the team and in the Big Ten.
• Junior A.J. Harris, a transfer from Georgia, is poised for a breakout season and is projected as a potential first-round NFL draft pick.
• The competition for the starting cornerback spot alongside Harris is tight, with Eliot Washington and Audavion Collins vying for the position.

STATE COLLEGE − Last year’s Penn State football defense featured, perhaps, its deepest cornerback rooms in recent memory, if not ever.

A group that should be even better in 2025.

It’s trending as the top collection of coverage defenders in the Big Ten and beyond − one of the best parts of Penn State’s most highly regarded team yet under coach James Franklin.

And this expected success begins with a burgeoning star: junior A.J. Harris.

The former five-star recruit and Georgia transfer was, rather quietly enough, the Nittany Lions‘ No. 1 cornerback last year. He didn’t have gaudy cover statistics (five pass breakups, one interception), but he was respected enough to earn All-Big Ten honors.

Now, he’s on the verge of much more for this stacked group that expects to be even more productive this fall. Curiously, Penn State’s No. 4 national interception total last year was dominated by safeties, linebackers and even a defensive end. They made 15 of 20 picks.

“I expect him to be one of the best (who) ever played here,” cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, a former PSU receiver, said of Harris. “His football IQ’s off the charts. He understands the game, he studies the game. He’s got all the physical attributes, he can cover, he can tackle. He can cover tight ends and slots, he can cover outside guys. He can run.

“I just think his IQ separates him. He just sees things in a different way than most guys.”

Harris certainly could earn his way into conversation of becoming the first Penn State defensive back chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft. Smith said he rates favorable to previous standout stars like Joey Porter Jr. and Kalen King.

Who are the top Penn State football cornerbacks?

The Lions return four standout CBs with exceptional experience and welcome a fifth who may be too good to keep off the field.

Who will start at cornerback with Harris?

For now, Smith said it’s close competition between juniors Elliot Washington and Audavion Collins.

Washington is an imposing force at 5-foot-11 and about 200 pounds. He was a key backup last season and led the team with six pass breakups and had an interception.

“He has horsepower. He’s one of the fastest on the team …,” Smith said.

Collins was praised by PSU coaches last year as possibly the most improved player on the entire team − and with one of the largest, most outgoing personalities. He made 26 tackles (19 solo) as a backup to go along with an interception, two tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup.

Yet another key junior, Zion Tracy, will be expected to take on a larger role now, too, Smith said. He started four times last season, returned an interception for opening touchdown against national champion Ohio State and developed into a promising punt returner.

“He has speed, athleticism, length and IQ. He carries all those traits. And the X factor, now? He has experience,” Smith said of Tracy “He’s a guy coming back with a different mentality. I’m really excited to see him, I think he’s going to blossom this year.”

The Lions also should get contributions from redshirt freshman Kenny Woseley and rookie Daryus Dixson.

Dixson, in particular, seems to be a potential star in the making. He was one of the nation’s top cornerback recruits out of California’s powerhouse Mater Dei High program.

And he gave a take-notice college audition in April’s Blue-White Game. He broke up a couple of passes and delivered a perfectly-timed, near-lethal hit, knocking the helmet off receiver Josiah Brown, who somehow held onto the ball.

“What you saw in the Blue-White game, he did all spring,” Smith said. “If he can follow up the summer and early fall like he did in the spring, he’ll be in the mix playing a lot of football for us.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.