Our panel ranked the best Penn State safeties of the last 25 years. See the top 10
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Penn State football: The best players since 2000
For summer 2025, we’re looking back on the past quarter century of Penn State football and Nittany Lions. We formed a panel of voters to determine the best players at each position since the 2000 season, along with the top 10 offensive and defensive players overall.
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Our summer series ranking the best Penn State football players of the last quarter century is moving to the defensive side of the ball, beginning with a position that has been very strong in recent years — safety.
As a reminder, we reached out to eight Penn State beat writers to form a panel of voters who have determined the best Nittany Lions at each position since the 2000 season, along with the top 10 offensive and defensive players overall, based on their stats, accomplishments and the eye test.
That panel is made up of: Neil Rudel (Altoona Mirror), Rich Scarcella (Reading Eagle), Audrey Snyder (The Nittany Dispatch), Mark Brennan (Lions247), Mark Wogenrich (Penn State on SI), Frank Bodani (York Daily Record), Daniel Gallen (Lions247), Johnny McGonigal (PennLive), Josh Moyer (Centre Daily Times) and Jon Sauber (Centre Daily Times).
Here are our picks for the top 10 safeties of the last 25 years of Penn State football.
Note: All stats and years played are from 2000 and beyond unless otherwise noted. First-place votes are in parentheses for players with a high rank of one.
10. Zakee Wheatley
High rank: 3 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 9.2
Years played: 2021-present
Stats: 5 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, 149 tackles
Wheatley has been consistently good at safety for Penn State, ever since his switch from cornerback early in his career. The current Nittany Lion is excellent in coverage and uses those skills he brought from the cornerback room to be a ball hawk at the back end for the defense. While he may have been in the shadow of more highly touted safeties previously, he’s going to be the veteran in the room during the 2025 season.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if he took another big step forward for Penn State and rises up to do even better than his All-Big Ten honorable mention he earned following the 2024 season.
9. Shawn Mayer
High rank: 1 (1) | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 8.7
Years played: 2000-2002
Stats: 5 interceptions, 1 pass breakups, 241 tackles
Mayer had a wide range on ballots, but veteran beat writer Mark Brennan saw enough from him to give him a first-place vote. “Mayer was a beast on some pretty good and very bad teams at the turn of the century. And his 2002 season was one of the best ever by a PSU DB — 144 tackles (still the third most in school history by any player), 5.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a sack.”
The safety’s ability to disrupt an offense, especially in that 2002 season, stood out in a time that has surely faded from consciousness for some fans. That year earned him an All-Big Ten second team spot and helped him get to this position in our top 10.
8. Drew Astorino
High rank: 3 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 8.5
Years played: 2008-2011
Stats: 5 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 256 tackles
Astorino wasn’t as heralded as others on this list, but he was a consistent starter for the Nittany Lions and earned himself All-Big Ten honorable mention three separate times in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He finished with at least 62 tackles in all three of those seasons and had one interception in each of his final three years — after getting two as a freshman. Astorino was a quality safety on some high-level defenses at Penn State.
7. Jaylen Reed
High rank: 5 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 7.2
Years played: 2021-2024
Stats: 5 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 181 tackles
The level of safety play at Penn State has picked up in recent years in the eyes of our panel, with three of the top seven playing with the program as recently as 2021. Reed is the first of that group — and likely would’ve been joined by former teammate K.J. Winston had he stayed healthy — and earned his spot with an excellent 2024 season. The former Nittany Lion was used all over the field last year by defensive coordinator Tom Allen and excelled in that regard. He could play close to the line of scrimmage, was capable in man coverage and was good as a zone defender.
His breakout year led to a second team All-Big Ten spot and a selection in the 6th round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
6. Calvin Lowry
High rank: 4 | Low rank: 10 | Average rank: 6.5
Years played: 2002-2005
Stats: 9 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 153 tackles
Lowry is the first of the group to make the top 10 for every member of the panel, and for good reason. He was a crucial piece of the 2005 team that went 11-1 and won the Orange Bowl — a team that had one of the best defenses in the country. Lowry broke out that season with 79 tackles, four interceptions, two tackles for loss and a sack. That led to a first team All-Big Ten spot for Lowry and ultimately a spot in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
He made plays all over the field in his time as a Nittany Lion, and was a contributor in 39 games over his college career.
5. Anthony Scirrotto
High rank: 1 (1) | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 5.8
Years played: 2005-2008
Stats: 12 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, 184 tackles
No player on this list had more interceptions than Scirrotto, who had a knack for finding the ball and getting it back for his offense. He had at least two picks in his last three years at Penn State, including a sophomore season in 2006 that saw him haul in six interceptions. He was a first team All-Big Ten selection that season — and in 2008 — and a 2007 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. Scirrotto’s 12 interceptions is good for a tie for 5th all-time at Penn State and his six in 2006 is tied for 10th all-time for a single season with the Nittany Lions. His ability to create turnovers helped him earn a first-place vote and make the top five on this list.
4. James Boyd
High rank: 1 (1) | Low rank: 8 | Average rank: 5.1
Years played: 2000
Stats: 3 interceptions, 9 pass breakups, 109 tackles
Boyd earned a first-place vote and the No. 4 spot on this list despite only playing one season this quarter century. He was, as Neil Rudel said, the “best hitter of the bunch” and showed that during that 2000 season. Boyd made several big hits over the middle in the passing game and coming downhill in the running game to accrue those 109 tackles that season.
His play earned him a third team All-American status that year, and an All-Big Ten first team spot before he went in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Boyd may not have played long during the time frame in question, but there’s no doubting the impact he had in 2000.
3. Marcus Allen
High rank: 2 | Low rank: 6 | Average rank: 3.2
Years played: 2014-2017
Stats: 1 interception, 11 pass breakups, 321 tackles
Allen is the only player in the top five not to receive a first place vote, but unlike Boyd and Scirrotto he was in the top six on every ballot. The former Nittany Lion safety was, like Boyd, best known for his hitting ability, coming downhill to make plays in the running game and cause havoc as a player who was more of a linebacker/safety hybrid than a true safety. That being said, he was good enough in coverage that he could hold his own against quality opponents and increase his value on the field.
It helps that he’s also partially responsible for the biggest play of the James Franklin era. Allen blocked the kick against Ohio State that Grant Haley returned for a touchdown, leading to the Nittany Lions’ win over the Buckeyes and igniting a run to a Big Ten title.
2. Ji’Ayir Brown
High rank: 1 (3) | Low rank: 6 | Average rank: 3
Years played: 2020-2022
Stats: 10 interceptions, 9 pass breakups, 153 tackles
The top two spots went to two teammates who played next to each other at the position for two seasons. Brown was an excellent all-around safety who was at his best in coverage. He was a true ballhawk, who could hunt down any pass once it was in the air and combined his quick reactions with an elite football IQ. Brown always seemed to be in the right place at the right time — largely because he put himself there.
He was the NCAA leader in interceptions in 2021 with six, which also tied him for 10th all-time in a single season at Penn State. His play earned him two All-Big Ten third team selections, in 2021 and 2022, and a spot in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
1. Jaquan Brisker
High rank: 1 (4) | Low rank: 3 | Average rank: 1.8
Years played: 2019-2021
Stats: 5 interceptions, 14 pass breakups, 153 tackles
No. 1 goes to Brown’s teammate and fellow transfer in from Lackawanna College. Brisker was, like Brown, an excellent all-around safety but he was at his best as a tackler. His high football IQ (another commonality between the top two) made him a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, but also allowed him to break up passes with hits and make the correct play in the hole in the running game. His elite 2021 season earned him second team All-American status that year, along with a spot on the All-Big Ten first team.
Brisker may not have had the longest career, but he was impactful as any player on this list thanks to his elite play in all facets of the position.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
