Penn State adds former All-Big 12 defensive back Jeremiah Cooper

Penn State added another former Iowa State player Sunday afternoon, locking up cornerback Jeremiah Cooper. Listed at 6-foot, 195 pounds, Cooper was a regular contributor for the Cyclones his first three seasons. However, he was injured in Iowa State’s fourth game in 2025, forcing him to sit out the rest of the season. That’ll allow him to play one more season of college ball.

“The silver lining in his situation is the fact that, obviously, Jeremiah still has another year of eligibility. I think, as we work through this, Coop’s really tough. It stinks when you lose a captain and a guy everybody has so much respect for. I just saw him on the field coaching tonight. I saw him last night at the hotel, coaching our guys. Who Jeremiah Cooper is is way bigger than this injury and he’ll come back better from it.”

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A first-team All Big-12 player in 2023, Cooper finished his sophomore season with 45 tackles, 15 pass deflections, and five interceptions, one of which he took back for a score. Over the course of 3.5 seasons, he started over 30 games for Iowa State, most of which were at safety. He then switched to cornerback ahead of this upcoming season.

“I just think the biggest thing was trying to put our best 11 players on the field,” said Matt Campbell following the 2025 season opener against Kansas State. “We’re always trying to do that. Coop’s got such great position flexibility; he’s played corner for us here in the past. He’s played nickel. Obviously, he’s played safety. So, I think that speaks more than anything to Coop’s ability to be so fluid as a football player and what kind of football player he is.

Campbell went on to add, “I thought he was elite in the game. I thought maybe one of the best games I’ve seen Jeremiah Cooper play in his career. Physical at the point of attack. I thought he did a really good job in the passing game. He’s got a lot of confidence. I think, as any great player, you love to have position flexibility and the ability to adapt to that. To do what’s best for the team was awesome.”

Cooper totaled 134 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 29 pass deflections and eight interceptions while in Ames. The El Paso, Texas, native is considered one of the best cornerbacks available in the transfer portal, coming in at No. 65 nationally and fourth overall at the position.