USC · L 23-31
No tackles.
Purdue · W 31-17
No tackles.
Neal has tackles in 6 of Penn State’s 8 games: none against USC and Purdue.
5 stories in the last 30 days, from 4 outlets.
Marcus Neal
Arrived at Penn State from Iowa State. One game to point at: 6 tackles against Wisconsin — Week 4, 2026.
22 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 4 outlets
On3 Oct 29 · 1 outlet
from 9 outlets
On3 Oct 29 · 1 outlet
Black Shoe DiariesPenn State’s Top 10 Players For 2026: No. 4 Marcus Neal Jr.Aug 18
Onward StatePenn State Football Safety Marcus Neal Jr. Named To PFF National Team Of The WeekSep 20
The Morning CallPenn State’s Jeremiah Cooper, Marcus Neal Jr. form talented duo at safetyAug 30
247SportsPenn State Position Change: Former starting safety Marcus Neal Jr. shifts focus to linebackerOct 28On3Marcus Neal used NIL to surprise Penn State students with White Out tickets before his last home game; before his latest one, he preps for a new positionOct 29On3
HeavyOn3The Morning CallBlack Shoe DiariesOn3Black Shoe DiariesEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories we tracked, by school.
Penn State15 stories2026 to nowMost about: awards and watch lists, starting job and depth chart, in his words.
Black Shoe DiariesOnly Marcus Neal Until Penn State FootballAug 5On3From strangers to family in one spring, how Marcus Neal, and his Lions teammates found their footing at Penn StateAug 7On3Photos from Penn State football practice No. 4 of Marcus Neal Jr., Chase Sowell, and moreAug 10
Iowa State3 stories2024 to 2025Most about: awards and watch lists, draft stock.
Sports IllustratedWhy Penn State Safety Marcus Neal Jr. Could Become an NFL First-Round PickJun 13On3Penn State's Ben Brahmer, Marcus Neal earn preseason All-America recognition from Athlon SportsJun 24Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Penn State | 22 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Iowa State | 77 | 40 | 11.0 | 1.0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2024 | Iowa State | 18 | 6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- |
| Career | 117 | 60 | 12.0 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 |
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 6 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-0vs Marshall | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 27-9@ Temple | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 55-13vs Buffalo | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 20-24vs Wisconsin | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 5 | L 13-34@ Northwestern | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 18-21@ Michigan | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Ratings of the games shown run from -12 to +14 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
0%0 pass breakupsTackle volume
22tackles this seasonTFL rate
0%0 TFL22 tackles.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Campbell
Pass share
46.5%
251 pass / 289 run
Plays / game
67.5
8 games
Team sack rate
4.7%
278 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive back who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #439 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 25 games over three seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed for 1 head coach at 2 schools: Matt Campbell.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to Penn State
