The 2025 Penn State season featured frustrating moments on defense but safety Zakee Wheatley largely shined. As a redshirt senior, he rarely left the field, finished second among Nittany Lions with 74 tackles and was a consistent presence across an inconsistent season for his squad.
"He's special," longtime Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said in November while serving as interim head coach. "He's a student of the game — he understands what's coming in front of him. He's an outstanding tackler. The guy has a (great) tackle radius. He has exceptional ball skills. If the ball is anywhere around him, he can grab it."
Smith initially welcomed Wheatley into his position room upon 2021 enrollment as a four-star prospect out of Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) High School. A transition to safety ultimately awaited one year later.
"Being in that room helped give me confidence in covering man-to-man," Wheatley said last Wednesday. "Switching to safety was pretty easy for me."
That on-field evolution continued during his final college campaign.
Playing for his fourth Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, he lined up in the box for more than 250 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That accounted for approximately 35 percent of collective defensive work, which essentially doubled Wheatley's junior-season usage there.
"It shows I'm a versatile player," he said. "Starting at corner, playing post safety, and then this last year going in the box, blitzing and playing the run. ... Having Coach (Jim) Knowles this past year was important to me. He had a complex defense, but I learned a lot."
Speaking at Penn State Pro Day, and now through trips to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine, Wheatley has entered the final span of a busy pre-draft process. He views versatility as a headline item on his 2026 NFL Draft resume, noting he is more than simply a safety, where he logged 28 straight starts.
"I definitely look at myself as a defensive back," Wheatley said. "I've played corner and safety my whole life, and then being a box safety and playing like a big nickel. Talking to teams, that's definitely something they love about me — being able to move me across the field and make plays."
Wheatley totaled 223 tackles in a Nittany Lions uniform. He strung together several Big Ten games last season without missing a single defensive snap.
"You can count on him," Smith said. "You know exactly what to expect, you know exactly what he's gonna deliver. He's gonna make plays, he's gonna be in the mix. He can tackle in the box, he can cover tight ends, he can cover slots."
Wheatley was known as a momentum-swinger for PSU's defense, earning the label of "Takeaway King" in spring camps and preseason camps alike. Eventually, that trait surfaced in game action as he was credited with involvement on 11 takeaways — six interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
Wheatley considers himself a defender who tends to end up "in the right spot at the right time." That's been a valuable selling point during dialogue with NFL talent evaluators.
"It pops up a lot," he said. "They'll ask me what's the best thing about my game, and I say it's my ability to create turnovers. That's one of the most important stats in football. Being able to get the ball back for the offense is very important."
Wheatley has communicated with all 32 NFL teams "at least once" and lined up visits to some of them. The New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints are franchises that he specifically mentioned on that list.
"I'm presenting myself the best way I can — being a good person and ultimately becoming a better player and better person," Wheatley said.
At this stage, the data has been collected. Standing nearly 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Wheatley produced a 33-inch vertical jump, 10-4 broad jump, 4.62-second 40-yard dash, 4.11-second pro shuttle and a 6.89-second three-cone drill.
His composite agility grades stand out, along with length that includes 31-inch arms. Wheatley now looks forward to shifting focus back to ball.
"It's a different process," he said. "You get your mind slightly out of the football phase, worrying about drills, 40-yard dash and things of that nature. But it's a chance to show your athleticism, which is translated to the football field."
Wheatley is at peace with the numbers he posted.
"I'm satisfied," he said. "I put it all on the line and trained a lot for this. I've been doing this since I was five years old, and I've been training hard for the last three months. Whatever I put out here today (at Pro Day) and on my film, it's everything I had."
Here's the scouting report on his NFL.com draft prospect profile:
Wheatley is a long, athletic safety whose career arc shows steady development. He played with better decisiveness and route recognition from man and zone looks in 2025. He's rangy with the ability to play over the top or close quickly to limit run-after-catch. Physicality near the line is average, but he competes and stays in the fight. His tackle radius is wide, but he needs cleaner pursuit angles and better play strength to limit missed tackles. Wheatley is still improving and should check in as a Day 2 pick with the potential to develop into a solid starter.
NFL.com's new four-round mock draft sends Wheatley to the Indianapolis Colts with Pick 113 in Round 4, making him the ninth safety selected. Longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper considers him the class's No. 8 safety, which resulted in a Round 4 landing spot (118th) last April.
"I'll control the controllable," Wheatley said. "At this point, that's being with my family."
He plans to watch the draft, held April 23-25, with family members in Maryland. Beyond that, Wheatley will join an offseason workout program and rookie minicamp at a yet-to-be-determined professional destination.
"Wherever I go is gonna be a blessing," he said.