Tag: zakee wheatley

Penn State won’t have KJ Winston back for College Football Playoff

James Franklin confirms Penn State will be without star safety for the College Football Playoff.

Penn State head coach James Franklin was happy to see his team come out of the Big Ten championship game as healthy as possible despite coming out on the losing end of things against Orgeon. But the Nittany Lions will unfortunately still be without one of its key defensive players for the duration of the College Football Playoff as safety [autotag]KJ Winston[/autotag] was confirmed to be out with his long-term injury according to Franklin this week.

The writing was on the wall that Penn State would make the College Football Playoff this year for the first in [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]’s tenure, but when they made the Big Ten championship game, the question then became how high of a seed they could be.

While the Nittany Lions lost against Oregon, they were given a favorable path by the committee; facing SMU at home in the first round and then taking on Group of 5 team Boise State if they get past the Mustangs.

This draw might be the best out of any team in the 12-team tournament, including those who received a bye, but ultimately it will come down to what Penn State does on the field.

After the Nittany Lions defense was taken apart by Oregon in the title game, there are some concerns about how they might hold up when facing another team of that caliber.

Someone who would certainly help that unit is [autotag]KJ Winston[/autotag], Penn State’s star safety who was lost with a “long-term injury” after the Bowling Green game, which was the second contest of their season.

Unfortunately, Franklin put that notion to bed.

“We will not get KJ back for this year,” he said per Daniel Gallen of 247Sports. “Like I mentioned before, long-term injury.”

That is a huge blow to Penn State and their chances of winning the national championship this year since Winston was viewed as one of the best safeties in the country and even earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors following the opener against West Virginia when he had 12 tackles and forced a fumble.

The Nittany Lions will then have to keep running out the same secondary unit, led by [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag] on the back end to go with their young corner group.

Penn State wins first football game against UCLA since 1968

Penn State’s defense helped ensure UCLA would not be heading home with a souvenir victory on Saturday afternoon.

Penn State won its first game against UCLA since 1968 thanks to a 27-11 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of a striped-out Beaver Stadium crowd. In the first meeting between the Nittany Lions and Bruins as Big Ten opponents, Penn State got off to a slow start on offense before putting the Bruins to sleep behind a strong defensive effort.

UCLA started Justyn Martin at quarterback with Ethan Garbers listed as questionable prior to the game, and Martin seemed to give Penn State’s defense a few problems early on. But the Nittany Lions defense, led by leading tacklers linebacker [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag], held the Bruins out of the end zone until the final 20 seconds of the game. UCLA had gone nearly 150 minutes of game time without scoring an offensive touchdown.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] completed 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, including a 57-yard pass over the middle to [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag], who led all players with 107 yards. [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag] came within a yard of his first touchdown with Penn State, and [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] added three catches for 29 yards with a touchdown.

Star running back [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] did not appear in the game after being listed as questionable on Penn State’s pregame player availability report. So [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] took the lead on the ground with 21 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Despite only managing three points, UCLA’s offense did give Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen a few things to work on heading into Penn State’s remaining schedule, starting with a top-25 matchup on the road next week.

Penn State will be on the road for its first Big Ten road game of the season next week when they visit another Big Ten newcomer, USC. Penn State will play its first game at USC since 1991.

UCLA will look to rebound and snap a three-game losing skid in Big Ten play with a home game against Minnesota next week.

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Penn State overcomes surprising challenge vs. Bowling Green in 34-27 win

Penn State’s defense played a much better second half to help avoid an upset to Bowling Green.

Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen each had 100-yard games and tight end Tyler Warren led all players with 146 receiving yards, but Penn State’s 34-27 over Bowling Green was anything but easy. The Nittany Lions came from behind with a strong second-half effort by the defense to improve to 2-0 on the season. Despite being a five-touchdown favorite, Penn State had a lot to tighten up at halftime to find a way to put Bowling Green away for good, and it was not until late in the fourth quarter they finally did,

Bowling Green opened the game with a stunning touchdown drive, marching 75 yards on six plays to put the first points of the day on the board with a six-yard from Connor Bazelak to Harold Fannin Jr. Fannin Jr. was just setting the stage for a massive day against the Penn State defense, which struggled to contain him all afternoon.

Penn State answered on the next possession with a quick touchdown drive with [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] capping a 75-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run. But the Falcons took a 10-7 lead before the end of the second quarter and led by a score of 17-7 just minutes into the second quarter. Penn State battled back to tie things up at 17-17, but Bowling Green retook the lead on a 41-yard touchdown run by Jamal Johnson, and Bowling Green held on to a 24-20 lead at halftime.

It was not until just past the midway point of the third quarter that Penn State took its first lead of the game. Allar completed a 14-yard pass to a streaking [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] over the middle of the defense for the go-ahead score. The drive was highlighted by a hefty dose of passes to tight end Tyler Warren.

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Penn State had a chance to create a little breathing room late in the third quarter but a Drew Allar pass was picked off in the end zone by Jacorey Benjamin. Fortunately for Penn State, Benjamin made a poor decision to try returning the interception out of the end zone and was knocked out of bounds at the three-yard line as the third quarter came to a close. That led to a needed defensive stop at the start of the fourth quarter by the Penn State defense, which gave the Nittany Lions another chance to go up by two scores.

But Penn State was forced to punt the football away on the ensuing drive after a deep pass from Allar to Harrison Wallace III, one of the offensive stars in Week 1, was broken up.

Penn State’s defense cleaned things up after halftime and came up with interceptions on back-to-back Bowling Green possessions in the fourth quarter, one by linebacker [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] and the other by safety [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag]. Shortly after Wheatley’s pick, Singleton ripped off his third touchdown run of 40+ yards this season to put Penn State up 34-24.

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Singleton ended the day with 133 total offensive yards and two touchdowns. Allen had his first 100-yard game of the season. Wide receiver Julian Fleming had his first catch in a Penn State uniform, although for a small three-yard gain.

Jaylen Reed led the Penn State defense with 10 tackles and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] came up with some big plays along with his 7 tackles. Kobe King added 7 tackles and came down with a football on a late Bowling Green onside kick attempt to allow Penn State to run out the clock once and for all.

Penn State will be off next week. The Nittany Lions return to action on Saturday, Sept. 21 with a home game against Kent State.

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Penn State’s junior safety could see more playing time this year

Is Zakee Wheatley ready for a bigger role in Penn State’s defense in 2024?

There aren’t very many spots on Penn State’s defense where they don’t have to address departures, but safety is one of them.

[autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]KJ Winston[/autotag] were the two starters on last year’s team who didn’t rotate out very often and that’s expected to be similar this season as well.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be opportunities for others to find themselves on the field in those spots based on different points of the game, or worst case scenario due to injuries.

Having backups ready to contribute is paramount for elite programs across the country and it seems like the Nittany Lions have someone ready to step into that role.

According to Tyler Donohue of 247Sports, [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag] has impressed during spring practices after being in third year of his transition from cornerback to safety with [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] saying “the light’s gone on for him” and he’s had “by far” his best offseason workouts (subscription required).

An interesting thing for Penn State’s secondary will be how it operates under new defensive coordinator [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag] who is looking to implement a “Lion” role that has one of their safeties closer to the line of scrimmage.

Early comments from Allen suggest that Reed could be getting the majority of the snaps at the “Lion” position.

That could put Wheatley into deep coverage where he has excelled during practice.

In fact, Donohue notes that no player has come away with more takeaways than Wheatley.

Because of the unknown, it should be expected that the redshirt junior sees much more playing time this season after only logging around 250 snaps last year.

2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 6 Zakee Wheatley

Where does safety Zakee Wheatley fit in the defensive outlook for Penn State in 2023?

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season

Continuing this effort is a look at a rising defensive contribution, safety Zakee Wheatley. Wheatley is coming into the 2023 season with a shot at landing a starting role on the defense, if not just getting a bigger chunk of playing time. Wheatley saw a good amount of playing time in 2022 and could see even more as he continues to prove to be one of Penn State’s top players in the secondary.

Penn State spring football preview: Cornerbacks and safeties

There are some key spots to fill in the Penn State secondary this spring.

Penn State is normally known as “Linebacker U,” but recently their secondary players have been making waves at the NFL level.

In recent years, [autotag]Adrian Amos[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquan Brisker[/autotag] have all been featured in prominent roles at the next level. Now, [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] is expected to be the highest Penn State secondary player ever taken in the NFL Draft and [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] is climbing up draft boards.

The current 2023 roster has a bunch of playmakers as well. This will be an experienced group overall and should have a major impact on the success of Penn State’s defense this season.

The headliner in the group is cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag]. He was a bit overshadowed by Porter Jr. last season, but it’s now his time to shine. Others in the secondary should become a household name this season as well.

Here are some names to watch as spring practices start.

Kalen King

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Measurables: 5’11” / 185 lbs.

Year: Junior

Expected Role: Starting cornerback

Kalen King is a flat out star. While overshadowed by the bigger name of Joey Porter Jr., he put together an elite season last year. His PFF grade of 89.0 was 8th best out of 916 corners.

He is expected to be one of the most impactful players on the defense and might be the best player in the program. He showed how good he was in a primary role during the Rose Bowl. If King continues to play like he did last season, Penn State is in good hands at starting cornerback.

Johnny Dixon

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Measurables: 6’0″ 190 lbs.

Year: Redshirt Senior

Expected Role: Starting cornerback

[autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] will have some big shoes to fill this season. The former South Carolina transfer is expected to win the starting role during the spring and summer to play opposite of King.

In the two season he’s been at Penn State, Dixon improved his PFF grade by 10 points. He ranked 260th out of 916 corners in 2022-23, recording 23 total tackles, 10 passes defended and two interceptions. There is potential that this could be a position battle to watch in the spring and summer as James Franklin brought in a transfer cornerback from North Carolina.

NEXT: The expected starters at safety

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Top 5 position battles heading into Penn State’s spring practices

These position battles will be heating up when Penn State opens spring football practices.

Penn State football is in a very good position overall with the way that James Franklin has this team constructed. Of course, there are a few positions that need to be sorted out still.

The position battles going on this spring will be what solidify the starting lineup. The team is very deep and whoever loses these battles shouldn’t be seen as someone not of the quality you expect from Penn State. Rather, it will speak volumes as to what the starters should be seen as which is top-level quality players.

Here are the top five position battles to monitor this spring.

King Mack mentioned as player who could play early by 247Sports

247Sports says this Class of 2023 piece could have early impact at Penn State

Penn State’s latest recruiting cycle certainly hit the mark when it came to adding quality depth across the roster. A solid follow-up to the Class of 2022, the incoming Class of 2023 is not short on quality pieces that could have an impact relatively early on for the Nittany Lions. Among those in the class highlighted as a player to watch as early as 2023 could be safety King Mack.

247Sports put together a list of 15 players across the country in the Class of 2023 that could potentially have an early impact with their new teams. Mack was the one player in Penn State’s class put in the spotlight by 247Sports in its list.

Here is what 247Sports said about one of Penn State’s next big defensive stars;

Penn State’s 2023 safety haul is absurd. The Nittany Lions landed a trio of Top247 four-star safeties from the state of Florida, headlined by King Mack. Not only is Mack the most ready-to-play prospect of the group, but he’s also the highest-upside player. Mack was a defensive and special teams terror this fall for Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, which got 50 tackles, one interception, two punt blocks, one kick block, one defensive TD, two kick return scores and two punt return TDs. The 5-foot-11, 180 pound speedster has an outstanding track profile which contributes to the excellent athleticism he shows on the field (a 10.69 100, a 21.43 200, and a 46.25 400, which won gold in Florida’s Class 3A).

As referenced by the writeup from 247Sports, Mack is one of three safeties in Penn State’s recruiting class. He is joined by four-star DaKaari Nelson from Alabama and four-star Elliot Washington from Florida. Penn State was close to adding another safety to the mix but Conrad Hussey flipped his commitment from Penn State to Florida State in the early signing period.

Penn State will have at least one starting job open at the safety position in 2023 with [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] graduating and moving on to the NFL. Penn State’s most senior safety heading into 2023 will be [autotag]Keaton Ellis[/autotag]. Potential candidates for starting in Brown’s vacant spot include returning players such as [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag]. But Mack certainly is on the radar coming into the program.

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Instant Reaction: Penn State dominates Auburn in 41-12 blowout

Instant reaction: Penn State puts on dominating display at Auburn, 41-12

It took a little bit of time to establish its dominance over Auburn, but Penn State took full control of the Tigers and the crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the second half. Penn State outscored the Tigers 24-7 after halftime en route to an eye-opening 41-12 victory on the road down south on Saturday.

Freshmen running backs [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] (124 yards, two touchdowns) and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] (52 yards, two touchdowns) led the charge on offense, but the defense was the big story of the game for the Nittany Lions. [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] dialed up a defensive gameplan that gave up some chunk plays in the first half but limited Auburn to two red zone drives resulting in just two field goals after the Tigers were knocking on the goal line.

Penn State’s defense also forced four turnovers with a pair of interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries in the game. [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag] each came up with interceptions in the game to stall what could have been promising Auburn scoring drives.

[autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] was a standout performer as well as he showed relentless pursuit against Auburn quarterback TJ Finley, who did not finish the game as the Tigers quarterback. Linebackers [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] each had some big moments as well as the defense was on fire in the second half. [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] made some big pass breakups as well.

This was a full team victory all over the roster, and this could be a springboard to bigger things down the line for the Nittany Lions.

Next up for Penn State is one more non-conference matchup before jumping back into Big Ten play. Penn State will host Central Michigan next Saturday for a noon kickoff in Beaver Stadium.

Auburn will hope for a rebound next weekend with their SEC opener at home against Missouri.

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Penn State leads Auburn at halftime, here are the highlights

Check out the first-half highlights from Penn State vs. Auburn.

Penn State and Auburn are locked in a tight one down in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The defenses have been coming up with some big plays, including a pair of red zone stops by the Penn State defense to force Auburn to settle for field goals.

Sean Clifford took a big hit early on but led the offense to a go-ahead touchdown on his second series of the game. Penn State also forced two turnovers in the half.

Here are some of the highlights from the first half of the game as the teams look to make their adjustments going into the second half.