Zion Tracy will attend his first game at Beaver Stadium in less than three weeks.
Tracy, a three-star Class of 2023 athlete from St. Thomas More Prep in Oakdale, Connecticut, is capable of playing defensive back, receiver and in the return game and wants to be a versatile player at the college level.
Last season, Tracy (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) scored 10 total touchdowns and had 500 yards receiving playing for Long Island Lutheran High School, where the Hempstead, New York, native played for his first three years. He has 13 total offers and has caught the attention of some power five schools.
Had a great time @PennStateFball going against 4⭐️ penn state commit, great work! 4.35 40 yard
32.6 three jump broad
4.28 shuttle @DannyOBrienQB @coachjfranklin @CoachTerryPSU @CoachStubbs @Coach_Ander5on @PennStateRivals @RivalsRichie @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/uLpzRKFhtg— 11. (@ZionTracy11) July 30, 2022
Penn State offered him earlier this month, and he plans on taking an official visit to Happy Valley the weekend of Sept. 9, when Penn State has its home opener against Ohio.
Tracy has 13 offers total, including Rutgers and Syracuse, along with Penn State.
He plans to take an OV to Syracuse the weekend of Oct. 29, when the Organe host Notre Dame.
Nittany Sports Now talked with Tracy about his recruitment, and the conversation is the basis of this Q&A.
Nittany Sports Now: Where would you say Penn State stands in your recruitment right now?
Zion Tracy: It stands real high. I like Penn State a lot.
NSN: And what do you like about Penn State?
ZT: I like that they’re Big Ten. Their culture with the teammates is great… before they even offered me, they were talking to me like I’m one of their kids already.
NSN: What’s your relationship with the coaching staff?
ZT: My relationship is real close. I speak to them almost every day, to be honest. About three coaches, coach Bryce (Jones), coach (Rashad) Elby, coach Terry (Smith) and coach (James) Franklin, speak to me on a daily basis.”
NSN: How would you describe James Franklin to people who don’t really know him and just know him?
ZT: He’s a real, like, just, honest guy. Always has a smile on his face. He’s just a real coach. A real head coach.
NSN: How would you describe yourself as a football player?
ZT: I’m really fast. My IQ for the game, my love for the game… You can teach me something about football, and I’ll sit there and listen to you the whole entire day. That’s the type of player I am.
NSN: How is your relationship with (Rutgers coach) Greg Schiano?
ZT: It’s a great relationship there, too. Me and him… as long as I’m just being straight up, forward, honest with him, he’s going to be straight up, forward, honest with me, too. The respect is mutual.
NSN: Coach Franklin and Coach Schiano are obviously both in the Big Ten, and coach Schiano played at Penn State and coached there. So being that you know both of them a little bit, how would you say that those two are kind of similar and different from each other?
ZT: They’re similar because, as I said, they’re honest. No matter what they’re trying to tell you, they’re going to be honest; even if it’s going to hurt, they’re going to be honest.
But they’re different because coach Schiano is more… I don’t really see him joking that much. He’s a more serious guy. Coach Franklin’s more, you know, he’ll be a little funny but still be straight-up, forward with you.
NSN: Have you been to a game in Beaver Stadium before?
ZT: Nope. I cannot wait.
NSN: What are you looking forward to about going to Beaver Stadium and being at Happy Valley on a game day?
ZT: I honestly don’t know what I’m looking forward to. I just can’t wait to be shocked.
