Penn State received some good news entering the holidays. Safety Zakee Wheatley, who has started all 14 games this season, will forgo the NFL Draft and return for his redshirt senior year in 2025.
“These past four years have been amazing. I have grown so much as a person here at Penn State, thanks to my teammates and coach,” Wheatley posted on X. “I could not ask for a better group to learn from and to go into battle with everyday. I am excited for the playoffs and to have another chance to compete with my brothers. After thinking about this season and discussions with my family about my future, I have decided to return to Penn State next year for my last year!”
Wheatley played a significant role within the Nittany Lions’ defense the previous two seasons, but made a significant jump in playing time and production in 2024. His 77 total tackles and four pass deflections this season each rank second on the team. Wheatley also has an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery on the year.
“He’s just playing great right now,” James Franklin said on Nov. 25. “His tackle radius is really impressive. His ability to make plays, whether it’s causing fumbles or interceptions, hasn’t made as many of them this year as maybe I anticipated, but I know he’s got the ability to do it. He’s one of the more natural playmakers that we have.”
With fellow starters Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr., who missed most of the season with a long-term injury, off to the NFL Draft, Wheatley has emerged as a likely candidate to become Penn State’s leading safety in 2025. He’s set to lead a young room with promising talent in current true freshmen Dejuan Lane, Antoine Belgrave-Shorter and Vaboue Toure.
Wheatley has become the second Nittany Lion to publicly announce his return for next season, joining quarterback Drew Allar, who posted his decision on social media last Monday.
“He’s just gotten better every single year,” Franklin said. “I think this past year probably made the biggest jump, just in terms of all the different ways that we can use him — his confidence, understanding his strengths and weaknesses, playing to those strengths. He’s probably one of the better tacklers, just pure tacklers, we have on our team.
“He’s got length, he’s got athleticism. I’m a huge fan. I’m a huge fan of his maturity. He’s just really grown. And I’m very, very proud of him. And I think he’s got a very, very bright future for the rest of his career at Penn State, and then afterwards.”
