Penn State Football: Wheatley Ready to Turn Early Praise into Plays

For as long as Penn State has been focused on the 2022-23 season the name Zakee Wheatley has come up time and time again. A mention from safety Ji’Ayir Brown here, a shoutout from coach James Franklin there. It’s noteworthy that Wheatley’s name comes up so often – Franklin in particular often gives his praise in broad strokes to avoid leaving anyone out.

Ask him about corners? He’ll name all of them and say something nice about each.

Ask him about running backs? He’ll talk about depth and opportunities.

Ask him about safeties though? He’ll mention Brown and then soon thereafter Wheatley will come up.

“We felt like safety would probably be his best long-term position,” Franklin said when Wheatley made the change from corner to safety. “But starting him at corner and (getting) the confidence that comes with kinda being out there on an island I think is valuable. And right now, (Wheatley) just seems to find the football. The ball likes him, he likes the football, and he’s kind of standing out right now.”

It might not seem like much, but Franklin isn’t one to single out players who haven’t earned it, Brown isn’t one to praise young players who haven’t shown their worth either. So that million dollar smile that comes on the face of a 6-foot-2, Maryland native might just so happen to have a multi-million dollar game behind it. But one thing at a time of course, the kid has only made appearances in four games so far in his short career.

“I’ve definitely felt the progression,” Wheatley said on Wednesday coming out of his second season of spring practices having led the Nittany Lions in turnovers. “But I’m hard on myself. I expect greatness of myself, so I said, I can always do more to get better – but I knew I wasn’t doing bad.”

As for the praise and the occasional shoutouts? It isn’t lost on Wheatley either.

“It definitely gave me some confidence,” Wheatley added. “I always have confidence in myself, but of course, when people shouted me out it definitely gave me a little confidence. It feels good.”

Penn State will need Wheatley to step up in 2022-23 like so many of the other younger players around him. The Nittany Lions have plenty of talent but they also have a lot of youth, and that means – if winning is in the cards – growing up quickly. Of course Wheatley won’t be alone, Brown gives him one of the best safeties in the country to learn from and fellow safety and State College native Keaton Ellis has been around the block a few times already. But then again, when the ball is headed your way, only you can make the play.

And when that happens, it’s the time to turn the praise, into plays.