The Penn State Nittany Lions could steal a star defensive player from the Iowa State Cyclones in the transfer portal.
The Penn State Nittany Lions hired Matt Campbell as their new head coach earlier this month, and given that Campbell had coached the Iowa State Cyclones for a decade before heading to Happy Valley, Campbell poaching Iowa State players should not come as much of a surprise.
Linebacker Keian Kaiser — a three-star recruit — has already flipped from Iowa State to Penn State, and there is also speculation that quarterback Rocco Becht, who recently revealed his decision to enter the portal, could follow Campbell, as well.
Now, a report has surfaced that star defensive back Jeremiah Cooper — who played just four games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending knee injury — may be joining the Nittany Lions, too.
Cooper is entering the portal, and Pete Nakos of On 3 has tabbed Penn State as a favorite to land upcoming fifth-year senior.
A former three-star recruit, Cooper landed at Iowa State in 2022 and logged 32 tackles during his freshman campaign. The following year, Cooper broke out, racking up 45 tackles, five interceptions (including a pick-six) and 10 passes defended.
Jeremiah Cooper. Credit: NIrmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK.The 21-year-old then registered 48 tackles, a couple of picks and eight passes defended in 2024 before seeing his final season at Ames cut short.
Penn State was middle-of-the-pack in defense this year, ranking ninth in the Big Ten by allowing 334.3 yards per game. It also surrendered 21.6 points per game.
The Nittany Lions also allowed opposing quarterbacks to record 133.1 passer rating, so they could definitely stand to improve their secondary.
Cooper should prove to be a worthwhile addition if Penn State is able to land him.
The Nittany Lions entered 2025 with national championship aspirations but instead went just 6-6. James Franklin was fired as head coach after a 3-3 start, and Penn State also watched as quarterback Drew Allar was lost for the season due to an ankle injury.
Campbell went 72-55 during his tenure at Iowa State, with his best showing coming in 2024 when the Cyclones went 11-3 and defeated Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl.
We'll see if Campbell can help turn around a prestigious Penn State program that has not won a national championship since 1987.