Penn State knew safety Zakee Wheatley would have an important role this season.
All through winter workouts, spring practice and fall camp, coach James Franklin and others within Penn State’s program talked about how impressive Wheatley’s offseason had been, and Penn State fans were wondering if he’d make good on those compliments once the games started.
Wheatley’s role became even more prominent after Week 1 when starting safety and projected first-round draft pick KJ Winston went down with a long-term injury.
Penn State knows it can’t fully make up for the loss of Winston, who’s one of the best safeties in America. But the play of Wheatley has softened the blow, and this past Saturday’s 27-11 win over UCLA was probably his best performance of the season.
Wheatley ended the afternoon with a career-best seven tackles, and is tackling/coverage grades were the best in the country for his position per Pro Football Focus.
No stop was more important than the 4th and 1 midway through the first quarter, with UCLA driving at Penn State’s 22.
COZIAH IZZARD & ZAKEE WHEATLEY SHUT THE DOOR 🚪
DT @Co_Izzard and S @ZakeeWheatley STUFF UCLA on 4th down for the BIG turnover on downs #WeAre pic.twitter.com/6ilHYQV9lu
— White Out Weekly (@whiteoutweekly) October 5, 2024
Penn State captain Dom DeLuca, who plays linebacker, feels that Wheatley hits above his weight class.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“He comes downhill for being, what, 150 pounds (Wheatley is listed at 200),” DeLuca told reporters via zoom late Wednesday morning. “I don’t know how much he weighs. He’s not the biggest safety in college football but he’s coming down and he’s punishing kids like a linebacker. He’s hitting these big running backs, these big time running backs like it’s nothing. Just the way he has that chip on his shoulder and he’s not scared to hit and stick his nose in the dirt, it’s unique.”
The praise for Wheatley extends beyond his teammates.
“I think he’s playing really well,” Franklin said at his Monday presser. “I thought last week, he was flashing and playing fast and playing physical. I think you guys also know I talk a lot about team defense. A lot of times, this guy gets the sack because this other defensive lineman penetrated and made it very difficult for them to pass it off.”
“It’s the same way with safeties sometimes tackling. It’s a corner setting the edge on a screen where the lineman is coming to block him, and rather than running around the block, a lot of times running around the block is the same as getting blocked, you’re still creating space, and the corner being able to set the edge and the defensive end pursuing and the linebacker pursuing allows the safety to play fast and confident because they’re able to run an alley where the ball is going to hit, not having to make an open field tackle, which is very different in terms of how you approach it.”
For Franklin, Wheatley keeps playing “faster, more aggressive and more confident” and also feels the rest of the defense is doing its part.
“Again, I think the other 10 guys on the defense doing their job allows individuals to shine, and Zakee is an example of that,” he said.
