Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M with the attitude Winston brings to the field every play. "He's got that kind of size. He's got that kind of athletic ability," Poindexter said. "Most people think, 'Oh, man, you shouldn't be able to make plays.' But he's got the mindset to make plays. He has no fear. And he's not scared to fail. "That's the biggest thing playing DB. You're not going to win them all. You've got to win more than you lose, but you're not going to win them all. But when you're playing with that kind of freedom and that kind of mindset, your true playmaking ability comes out." 'I'm Not Afraid To Push You' Armed with the knowledge that comes with his playing experience and approach to the game, deeply invested in film study and an appreciation for what offenses are trying to do to him, Winston is eager to see what the com- ing season will bring. More than just his own performance, though, he's focused on the team results in which he has in- vested so heavily this offseason. Winston has risked his own popular- ity by offering absolute candor to his teammates, yet he continues to ham- mer home what's necessary to achieve the highest levels of success. Paradoxi- cally, his penchant for honesty has only served to entrench him as one of the team's favorites. "I think for a lot of people it may be hard sometimes," he said. "You don't want to be disliked by your teammates, [but] in the long run they'll appreciate it, and they'll see it how it is. Sometimes you can rub people the wrong way by telling them in the moment how things are going. But I feel like I want the best out of everybody on my team, and I'd be doing them wrong by not pushing them how they need to be pushed. "So, in the moment, I'm not afraid to push you because I know it's all love coming from me. And if you don't see it right now, you'll see it eventually. That's just how I see it. It's all love to them, and they all realize it and everybody around me wants to be pushed, so it's not hard with the guys we have in the building to do that." ■ Zakee Wheatley Eager To Fulfill His Potential In 2024 The career arc for Zakee Wheatley has been one marked by promise. The fourth-year junior safety, a former cornerback who switched positions after redshirting in 2021, has made a tantalizing impression the past two seasons without fully realizing the potential that Penn State insiders have seen in him. Last year, Wheatley made 24 tackles as the fourth member of the Nittany Lions' safety rotation behind Jaylen Reed, Kevin Winston Jr. and the since-graduated Keaton Ellis. This year, sparked by an offseason emergence that began in January, Wheatley has continued to impress. He has teamed with Reed, a se- nior, and Winston, a junior, to give the Lions a capable back end to their defense. "I think those three young men are as good [a trio] as you're going to have in the country," defensive coordinator Tom Allen said. "Zakee has probably made the biggest growth from last year to this year. He's had a tremendous offseason." Or, as Penn State head coach James Franklin succinctly noted, "The light has gone on." The reality, though — as told by the Crofton, Md., native and his position coach, Anthony Poindexter — is that Wheatley had help flipping that switch. There was a bit of prodding from Reed and Winston and some forthright conversations with Poindexter that helped him develop a new mindset. "I just changed my approach mentally and got pushed by Jaylen Reed and K.J. We all came to- gether and said, 'We need more from this room,'" Wheatley recalled. "The standard is the standard. And I just think I came with a different approach to taking care of my body, pre-practice, post-practice. Mentally, I made the decision that I was just going to be on that." Heading into his fourth year in the program, Wheatley knew he faced a crossroads. Talent alone wasn't going to be enough; he needed to fo- cus on the details of the position if he was going to build on the success he had enjoyed as a four-star prospect at Archbishop Spalding. At every step, Poindexter helped reinforce that message. "Me and Zakee talked at length in the offseason. I voiced my concerns about where his game was at going into spring ball," Poindexter said. "He took it and ran. He didn't take it as a slight; he listened to myself and Coach Franklin." Adding to the motivation, Wheatley found a new sense of purpose in his proposed role in Allen's defense. Understanding that he could frequently perform alongside Reed and Winston, rather than behind them, he developed a starter's mentality. "When you're coming off the bench, it's a little bit different," Poindexter said. "I just think he knows, 'I'm being relied on. I'm one of the first 11. I'm the first line of defense.' And to his credit, he took all the constructive criticism and coaching, and he then applied it to his game. "A lot of guys, you can talk to them, and they take it another way and they go the opposite. But he didn't. He just skyrocketed. It's a joy watching him play now. And watching all three of them play to- gether, it's a sight to see." Penn State expects to see it frequently this season. Now fielding three safeties, each of whom pos- sesses the ability to run the defense, play in space and make tackles at every level, the Nittany Lions view Wheatley as a player on whom they can depend. To Poindexter, the shift in mentality has made all the difference. "When you [have] maybe a little different attitude, do a little bit more work, there are rewards that come from it, and it just makes you excited. You want to do more," Poindexter said. "Kudos to him. He changed his mindset and his approach. It's hard when you get a little bit older to change your approach, but he did, and he's reaping the benefits." — Nate Bauer After redshirting as a true freshman in 2021, Wheatley has played in all 26 games for Penn State the past two seasons, totaling 53 tackles and 2 interceptions. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL