CB
Freshman
Zayas returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown against Wisconsin and recovered a fumble at Northwestern. His full defensive snap role is not established by those two takeaways.
Josiah Zayas entered Penn State as a freshman cornerback from Piscataway, New Jersey. His official biography describes a two-way high-school career that included nine interceptions and 67 tackles, plus substantial receiving production. Those are high-school totals, not his Penn State statistics.
Zayas produced two confirmed takeaways in consecutive 2026 Big Ten games. Against Wisconsin on September 26, he returned an interception 51 yards for his first college touchdown. At Northwestern on October 2, Penn State’s postgame notes credited him with a fumble recovery, the first of his college career. Those two plays provide a firmer basis for discussing his early contribution than a recruiting grade.
The Wisconsin and Northwestern reports do not provide a complete season snap count or settle a permanent cornerback order. His takeaway production is real, but a single interception return and one recovery should not be converted into a claim that he starts every game. Further usage needs a dated lineup or participation record.
Sources checked October 7, 2026