Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
3 0 M A Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M sonal improvement could, in turn, give a major boost to Penn State's defensive outlook for the 2024 season. "He's done better in his preparation," Reed said. "I feel like his play hasn't changed. I feel like he's just stepping up his preparation outside of football, in and out of the building. Little stuff like getting here early, stretching, doing little things like that. "I don't think his play has changed. Zakee has always been a playmaker and a ball hawk. So, I'd just say it's little things like that. Everybody needs those types of things in their game to elevate." Great Expectations Wheatley's demeanor through the first three months of the calendar year has backed it up, and now he's posi- tioned himself to do exactly that. Dur- ing the winter, he excelled in the weight room and classroom. In the spring, he shined on the practice field. The result of those performances is a heightened level of expectation for Wheatley and his role in the defense being assembled by first-year coordinator Tom Allen. With Curtis Jacobs headed to the NFL and junior Abdul Carter moving to de- fensive end this season, Penn State's linebacker corps is missing two of last season's primary playmakers. That means the Nittany Lions are likely to use a 4-2-5 alignment more frequently than in previous seasons. Wheatley's showing has allowed the staff to move Reed to the nickel posi- tion, creating confidence in the entire operation. "I think it can make the defense very, very explosive. You have KJ [Winston], Jay Reed, all guys who've been in the program for a long time, all very great players," Wheatley said. "And while all three of us are on the field, the energy that bounces off of each other is crazy. I feel like we could make a lot of great plays." Thanks to Wheatley's major steps forward this offseason, the Nittany Li- ons are determined to do exactly that. "I feel like he's going to have a great year," Reed said. "I feel like this is his breakout year to show the world." ■ Transfer Cornerback Jalen Kimber Embracing Competition Jalen Kimber already had four years as a college football player to his name before his arrival at Penn State this offseason. He was lightly used at Georgia during his true freshman campaign in 2020 and redshirted the following year before moving on to Florida for the 2022 and '23 seasons. Throughout those first two career stops, Kimber banked weight room time, practice reps and game experience. In his brief stint with the Nittany Lions, the 6-foot, 185-pound redshirt senior has displayed the benefits of all that training. He impressed with his speed during winter workouts and has had an impact on the chemistry of the cornerbacks room, which is made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores. "Jalen is a veteran who's played a ton of football in a really good conference, and you feel that," coach James Franklin said. "He's just very poised, very mature. … I've been impressed with him." Kimber made 11 starts for the Gators last season and played in all 13 games the year before. Nev- ertheless, he entered the transfer portal after the season and soon found an appealing destination in Penn State. The opportunity to work with cornerbacks coach Terry Smith was enticing, as was the strength of PSU's entire defense, not just the secondary. And it didn't hurt that the Lions were set to lose cornerbacks Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Dae- quan Hardy to the NFL. "Especially with the deep corners leaving, I just feel like this is a perfect fit," Kimber said. "We all help each other. The front seven helps the back end, and the back end helps the front seven, so I just felt like this would be a good fit for me." That fit comes with its share of challenges, though. Kimber is competing for snaps with junior Cam Miller and sophomores Zion Tracy, Elliot Washington II, Audavion Collins and A.J. Harris, the latter a recent transfer from Georgia. Kimber's plan for this season involves playing more aggressively than ever, getting off blocks and becoming a complete, all-around football player. If he can do that, he can live with the results, whatever they may be. "At the end of the day, you've got to handle your business," he said. "Anywhere you go, if you handle your business, they're going to find you. I just felt like this was a perfect fit for me. "Individually, I just want to go out there and show people that I can play football." — Nate Bauer Kimber started his career at Georgia, then spent two seasons at Florida before landing with the Nittany Lions this past winter. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ