Penn State’s Jeremiah Cooper, Marcus Neal Jr. form talented duo at safety — Yahoo Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

Penn State’s Jeremiah Cooper, Marcus Neal Jr. form talented duo at safety — Yahoo Sports | AIPROPX

The fall of 2025 was supposed to be special for Jeremiah Cooper and Iowa State.

The Cyclones hoped to carry the momentum from the previous season when Cooper was a standout safety and they set a school record for wins.

But with Iowa State at 4-0 in mid-September, Cooper’s senior season ended abruptly when he tore an ACL during a one-on-one drill in practice. It was the first serious injury he suffered while playing football.

He had hoped to make his case to NFL teams to be a top draft pick. Instead, he spent most of the season coping with post-surgery rehab.

“The mental part was the worst part,” Cooper said. “Those days in the first three months of the recovery process, those were some really dark days. You really had to have great relationships with people.

“At some point, I thought, ‘Am I even going to get back to the player I was? This stuff hurts so bad. Am I going to be able to play football again?’ It was just the mental part of knowing that it takes a lot of time.”

Now at Penn State, Cooper’s expected to be ready for game action in early September. His return will boost the defense and a versatile secondary that includes former Iowa State teammates Marcus Neal Jr. and Jamison Patton, also at safety.

“He’s a game-changer, for sure,” Neal said. “Watch the film. Watch the tape. He’s the truth. He has a knack for the ball. He has a lot of interceptions. He’s a smart player. He has that dog mentality. He’s just a good football player.”

So is Neal, a 6-1, 216-pound junior who made a team-high 11 tackles for loss last year at Iowa State, 77 tackles overall (which tied for the team lead), three pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble. Some have projected him as high as a first-round draft pick next spring.

“I saw him come in as a freshman two years ago,” Cooper said. “We all knew he was going to be a star. If you can practice that hard, you can go wherever you want. That’s how Marcus is. He practices so hard. He plays so hard.

“He cares so much about football and us. He has all that and athletic ability. He can go as far as he wants to go.”

The 6-0, 188-pound Cooper has plenty of experience with 32 career starts and eight interceptions. He played three seasons at safety before he moved to cornerback last season until his injury. He’s one of several players in the secondary who can play multiple positions.

“The more you can do, the better,” safeties coach Deon Broomfield said. “We’re not just going to put guys in position for the sake of saying that we’re versatile. It’s going to be based on kids’ skill sets. We’re going to put them in position to showcase their skill set.

“We feel like we have a bunch of different kids who can do a bunch of different things at a high level.”

Patton, a 6-2, 206-pound senior, and Vaboue Toure, a 6-1, 209-pound sophomore who stayed at Penn State, will be the primary backups.

Patton saw increased playing time last season after Cooper’s injury. He finished with 48 tackles, three pass breakups, two interceptions and one tackle for loss.

“They know what I want and they’re able to echo that out with the guys,” Broomfield said about the three former Iowa State safeties. “The learning curve has been a little bit easier for them. It’s nice because they know the drills and the techniques we work on.

“If I’m not able to coach a guy in individual drills, they’ll grab him. You have a triplet of guys who know what’s going on. They’re like mini-assistant coaches.”

Cooper and Neal are the key pieces. Former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said last year that Cooper could play all five positions in the secondary. Early NFL draft projections have him going as high as the third round next spring.

“I believe I can play any DB position,” Cooper said. “A lot of it is God-given ability. I feel like I have the speed, the quickness and the hips to play corner. I feel like I have the physicality and everything else to play safety, along with the mental process that you need.

“I feel like I can play anywhere they need me.”

Cooper has taught Neal much, but not his effervescence. Cooper and Broomfield said that Neal’s energy has been a positive force on the field and inside the locker room.

“When you see how he plays and how relentless he is, that’s infectious to other people,” Broomfield said. “He has a smile about him. He has a charisma that rubs off on people. From a football perspective, he brings attitude and effort.

“He sets the tone for other people within the defense. He’s a physical kid. He enjoys playing the game. He makes it fun. If you can do that, it makes the game easier.”