Penn State Sports Magazine
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M A Y 2 0 2 5 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W ithin days of Penn State's 38- 10 first-round College Foot- ball Playoff win over SMU, Zakee Wheatley had arrived at a decision. He had played a key role on a Nittany Lion defense that had propelled the team into the CFP quarterfinals, but he felt as though he needed another year of seasoning before taking the next step in his career. Although he was already an NFL prospect, Wheatley was excited about what was still ahead of him with the Nittany Lions. On Dec. 23, he an- nounced on his social media channels that he would come back to Penn State for a fifth and final season of college football. "Sometimes it's hard to put into words how blessed I am to be able to wear the blue and white and play this beautiful game in front of the great- est fans in the world," Wheatley wrote. "Thinking about what we have ac- complished so far as a team and what we have to still accomplish this season makes me excited! "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!" It was a shot in the arm for the Nit- tany Lions' future prospects on the de- fensive side of the ball, and his latter sentiment — what still could be accom- plished in 2024 — proved prescient. Less than a week after making his an- nouncement, Wheatley nabbed an in- terception in the Nittany Lions' 31-14 win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The play was part of an individual per- formance that also included 3 tackles against the Broncos, building on an ef- fort against SMU in which he'd finished second on the defense with 7 tackles and added a pass breakup. Penn State's victory in Glendale, Ariz., led to a semifinal date with Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, and Wheatley again stepped to the forefront. He fin- ished with a career-high 16 tackles and also had a sack, along with his second interception of the playoffs, although it wasn't enough to prevent a season- ending 27-24 loss to the Fighting Irish. In the aftermath of those perfor- mances, what had been a relatively straightforward decision in December was suddenly a bit more complicated. During the Nittany Lions' four-game postseason, encompassing the Big Ten title contest versus Oregon and CFP clashes with SMU, Boise State and Notre Dame, Wheatley had amassed 2 interceptions and 35 of his 96 tackles for the year. Following his late-season surge, Wheatley found himself revisiting his choice to stay in college for another year. In the end, though, he stuck to the plan he had laid out publicly in Decem- ber. "It was a hard decision for me per- sonally. I just felt like I haven't done everything I needed to do here, accom- plishment-wise," Wheatley said. "The main thing really was just coming back and having that feeling in the playoffs, and knowing what I came back for, and knowing what we can do as a team if we really just put our mind to it and thrive and strive for that ring. "That was the main thing. Really, just growing as a person in all areas. I feel like I have a lot more growing to do, and I just feel like I haven't displayed every- thing that I need to [show] here yet." All-Around Improvement Wheatley's views were shared by An- thony Poindexter, Penn State's veteran safeties coach. Poindexter was confi- dent that the former four-star prospect from Crofton, Md., could have made the jump this year to the NFL if he'd wanted, but he also saw ample room for improvement. Consistency and contin- ued playmaking could lead to a better draft projection in 2026. Wheatley, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, would need to put as much on film as he could, both at practice and in games, but the potential for all-around improvement was too enticing to ignore. "We talked about it," Poindexter said. "I think he could have gone to the NFL, but he had some things he needed to work on. Would he have gotten drafted where he wanted to? I don't know. But he had another year to come back and try to refine some things, to really be the guy out front. "He's [thinking], 'Hey, I want to come back and play for you, play for Coach [ James Franklin], and try to win the thing.' So, yeah, he could have come out, but he made the decision to come back." Name, image and likeness consider- ations also played a role in Wheatley's choice. Before the start of the NIL era, pro prospects often found themselves FINISHING KICK FINISHING KICK After a late-season surge last year, safety Zakee Wheatley aims to end his PSU career on an even higher note NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Wheatley had the first of his 2 postseason interceptions in Penn State's victory over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. He also picked off a pass against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS