Kenny Woseley Jr.’s football path started at Imhotep. It’s beginning to bloom with No. 7 Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The first day in a new role could evoke anxious and nervous feelings. Now, imagine being thrust into that role at the last minute, with 100,000 screaming spectators watching.

That was Kenny Woseley Jr.’s reality as Penn State readied to face Nevada in its season opener.

Zion Tracy, the presumed starter at nickel, was listed as “questionable” pregame and later ruled out, which meant Woseley, the Philly native who starred at Imhotep Charter, was next up. He discovered he was listed as a starter that day the same way the rest of Beaver Stadium did: the stadium’s video board.

“I saw [the starters] and I said, ‘Oh, wow,’” Woseley recalled. “It was a blessing. I took it in full stride.”

He also recalled being nervous for his first start but settled in when he realized it was just football after all. Another thing that settled his nerves: Wise words from his coach, Terry Smith.

“Just go out and play football,” Smith, Penn State’s defensive backs coach, told Woseley before kickoff against the Wolf Pack.

Woseley’s relationship with Smith began at Imhotep, where the two-time team captain starred as a lockdown corner. As a senior, Woseley tallied six interceptions, guiding the Panthers to a 15-0 record and a 5A state title.

Many Power Five schools offered the young cornerback, but it was Smith’s genuine interest — showing up to games and maintaining meaningful communication — that earned Woseley’s commitment to Penn State.

“When a coach is recruiting you, they don’t really come to big games like that,” Woseley said. “Penn State and [Coach Smith] were able to make all my state championship games, so that just showed me that they stood out as far as my recruitment and ultimately led to me [making] the decision to commit.”

Woseley made his pledge to the Nittany Lions in March 2023 and enrolled a summer later. He made five tackles in four appearances in 2024 before redshirting due to a crowded cornerback room.

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But after Jaylen Reed entered the NFL draft and Cam Miller transferred to Rutgers, Woseley saw an opening at nickel corner. His strong showing in fall camp placed him in the thick of a heated position battle with Tracy, a junior who started four games in 2024.

Tracy earned the starting role, but that didn’t stop the redshirt freshman from competing in camp. Woseley said he enjoys going good-on-good in practice because, as he put it, “iron sharpens iron.”

“If you’re not going against the best players, you really can’t get better,” Woseley said.

Penn State coach James Franklin called Woseley “a high-football IQ guy” and said the young corner did some nice things against Nevada. Franklin said the Nittany Lions plan is to rotate Woseley into the rotation as the season progresses.

Franklin isn’t the only coach impressed with Woseley’s progression. Justin Lustig, Penn State’s nickels coach, has seen Woseley’s development up close.

Lustig said Woseley benefited from increased reps with Tracy sidelined during camp and just ran with it.

“Kenny is a really coachable guy,” Lustig said. “If you tell him something once, he does it, and he oftentimes doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”

Woseley has appeared in all four of Penn State’s games this season. His seven tackles, three of which are solo, rank 11th on the team. He has also tallied 0.5 tackles for loss.

Penn State’s No. 17 knows his starting days are near. But for now, he’s focused on improving every day, which sometimes requires taking a step back to learn from veterans like Tracy.

“It’s always great having a veteran like Zion leading the way,” Woseley said. “He’s making sure that my head is always on straight. I look at it as a great blessing for him to be in front of me, to just learn from him and see what he sees on the field.”

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Tracy has become a mentor to Woseley, the two working together at practice as Penn State’s depth at nickel. The mentor called his mentee “a special player.” And, like his head coach, Tracy praised Woseley’s football acumen.

Tracy said it takes a high football IQ to excel at the nickel position, something Woseley has in abundance.

“Kenny is really smart,” Tracy said. “His feet are amazing. He knows how to watch and learn and then put his spin on his own moves.”

A.J. Harris, Woseley’s teammate in Penn State’s secondary, ranks among the best cornerbacks in college football, according to Pro Football Focus. The defensive backs teamed up in the starting lineup against Nevada.

Harris said Woseley has “taken big strides” this season and believes the redshirt freshman will reach top-corner status soon.

“Kenny is a smart, smart ball player, and he’s very technical,” Harris said. “He’s going to be a star in this defense one day.”

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