The next player in our series is Marcus Neal Jr., who had a breakout season in 2025 as a member of Iowa State’s secondary.
Marcus Neal Jr. was a four-star recruit and the No. 33 overall safety in the 2024 class when he originally committed to Iowa State. He played in seven games as a true freshman in 2024, recording 18 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. In 2025, he earned a starting position and recorded 77 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions. He earned third
team All-Big 12 honors for his performance in 2025.
Zakee Wheatley, Dejuan Lane, and King Mack are all gone, as is former safeties coach Anthony Poindexter. Incoming safeties coach Deon Broomfield will have to turn the page on a position that has become one of Penn State’s most reliable in the last five years. He brought three safeties with him from Iowa State, and Neal has shown himself to be a rising star.
Neal should earn a starting spot in Penn State’s secondary in 2026 looking to take another step forward in his junior season. I am excited to see how D’Anton Lynn uses him in the new defensive scheme. Neal picked up the nickname “Shark” from his teammates at Iowa State, and he certainly earned it with his big-play ability. He will be one of the most valuable pieces of Penn State’s 2026 defense.
