In what amounted to a shocking and dark day for Penn State football with a 24-20 loss to Wisconsin, one bright spot emerged.
On a veteran team with little room for high-impact young players to emerge, Josiah Zayas has made the most of his opportunities.
A true freshman from Edison, New Jersey, Zayas was a three-star prospect who played immediately in D’Anton Lynn’s defense and made his first splash play against the Badgers.
Zayas intercepted Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph early in the second quarter and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown, the first of his career and Penn State’s first defensive score of the year.
Zayas made an impressive one-handed grab from his defensive back spot and is playing his way into additional time at cornerback.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Pro Football Focus took note, recognizing Zayas as the highest-graded true freshman in Power 4 college football (93.1) during Week 4. His overall grade was one of the best in the country and 8.5 points higher than the next closest freshman (Vanderbilt safety Mason Lewis).
PFF also named Zayas to its National Team of the Week. The 6-foot-2 corner owns seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended through four games this season.
Zayas originally committed to Matt Campbell’s staff at Iowa State before flipping to Penn State during the transition period.
The Nittany Lions take the field on a short week against Northwestern on Friday at 8 p.m. Penn State is looking to avoid an 0-2 start in Big Ten action for the second year in a row. The game will air nationally on FOX as the Wildcats debut the new Ryan Field.
