Cruce Brookins holds the FS · Starter spot in Pittsburgh Panthers’s safety room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Cruce Brookins is a 6'2" free safety for the Pittsburgh Panthers. From Steel Valley High School in Pittsburgh, PA, he was rated as Pennsylvania's No. 11 overall prospect by recruiting services. In his redshirt freshman season (2023), he appeared in two games. During 2024, Brookins played in 12 games as a reserve and on special teams, recording 35 tackles and two interceptions, including a 26-yard return against Toledo. In 2025, he started eight of 10 games and compiled 28 solo tackles and 53 total tackles with two interceptions and two pass breakups.