Penn State football's defense struggled against an unranked and winless UCLA offense in Week 6, and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles might be without another starter against Northwestern.
Alongside linebacker Tony Rojas, whose absence was detrimental to the defense against the Bruins, the Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) may not have cornerback Zion Tracy available on Saturday. Tracy was listed on the official injury report as questionable.
Cornerback Zion Tracy listed as questionable ahead of Northwestern game at 3:30 p.m. ET
Tracy played slot more in 2024 and transitioned into a nickel cornerback role for the 2025 season. Against UCLA, he recorded just three tackles due to injury. He left the game and returned, but played sparingly. With starters dropping like flies, the depth that Penn State thought it had on defense is showing just how shallow it is.
In Tracy's place, Kenny Woseley Jr. stepped in during his brief absence in Week 6. Out of his large sample size of snaps, Woseley Jr. tallied just one tackle against the Bruins.
- Zion Tracy was limited at UCLA, leading to 40+ snaps for Kenny Woseley Jr.
— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) October 11, 2025
- Anthony Donkoh was out of the starting lineup last week for first time, after being listed as "questionable", but ended up getting work at right tackle in place of Nolan Rucci. TJ Shanahan was at RG. https://t.co/EIARlxirlh
The Nittany Lions need as many defensemen healthy as possible. They are currently in a position where they need to win out to make the College Football Playoff, and a lack of starting defenders makes that path nearly impossible to complete.
Other Penn State players listed as questionable for the game are running back Cam Wallace, offensive lineman Anthony Dinkoh, and offensive lineman J'ven Williams.
Rojas, wide receiver Kaden Saunders, defensive end Max Granville, and defensive end Mason Robinson are significant Nittany Lions are are still ruled out for Saturday.
The wide receiver room has yet to impress in 2025, something Penn State promised after a lackluster pass game in 2024. Not having depth at defensive end also means that edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton must bear the weight. Despite his star power, he has a limited amount of impactful plays on defense, specifically, throughout the first five games of the season.
Luckily for Dennis-Sutton, true freshman Chaz Coleman is available after missing practice on Wednesday. Details of his absence were not revealed, but as he is not listed on the injury report, the edge group did not take a major hit going into Saturday's contest. Maintaining the combination of veteran talent and experience in Dennis-Sutton and fresh energy in Coleman is a huge win that Knowles might have to take advantage of in the potential absence of his starting cornerback.
Kickoff against the Wildcats is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. Penn State's full availability report can be read here.