STATE COLLEGE — Few members of the Penn State football program know the potential of the Nittany Lions’ safety room better than Marcus Neal Jr.
A junior safety who played for Matt Campbell at Iowa State last season, the 6-foot-1, 218-pound Neal was a force against the run and the pass in 2025, earning third-team All-Big 12 honors.
Neal tied for ISU’s team lead in tackles with 77 and added 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Campbell also added ex-Iowa State safeties Jeremiah Cooper and Jamison Patton.
Cooper, a redshirt senior, began 2025 at cornerback before he suffered a season-ending injury early in the fall.
Cooper played safety prior to last season and earned first-team All-Big 12 status there in 2023.
“Nice,” Neal replied last week when asked about the offseason progress being made by the safety room.
“Everybody’s coming together, even off the field. Those are my guys. Everybody’s coming together, getting close.”
Neal also has noticed the efforts of the Penn State corner room, which will be led by several prominent PSU returnees — veterans Audavion Collins and Zion Tracy and second-year Lions Daryus Dixson and Jahmir Joseph.
Campbell said earlier in the week that Tracy has the talent to be elite.
Neal believes the combination of Penn State’s safeties and corners could set the Lions’ secondary apart.
“You got some dogs,” Neal said when asked about the PSU corners. “I know they’re going to bring it. You can tell by how those guys work, how they carry themselves.
“They believe in themselves, very confident. That’s what you want out on the corner. You trust those guys.”