Zakee Wheatley

Former safety at Penn State. 2025: 1 interception, 1 pass breakup, 74 tackles.

S · Penn State · Sr. · #6

6′2″ · 200 lb · Crofton, MD

CFB Index 63 · #158 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceDrafted by Carolina — Rd 5, Pick 11, #151 overall

How he plays

Plays like an extra linebacker near the line.

Solo tackles: 98th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

interception · 2025

1 PBU · 74 tackles · 2 TFL

Best game: 1 INT, 10 tackles, at Iowa

Statement game16 tackles · 1 TFL · 1 sackvs Notre Dame (FBS) · L 24-27

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former safety at Penn State. 2025: 1 interception, 1 pass breakup, 74 tackles.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Penn State in 2021.
Drafted round 5 by the Carolina in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Penn State, 210 tackles — drafted at #151 overall by Carolina.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2021

Signed with Penn State4-star out of Archbishop Spalding

2026

Drafted by Carolinaround 5, pick 151

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#350 national

CFB

College

Penn State

2021–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R5 · #151

Carolina · 2026

Coaching lineage · 2021–2025

2 coaches

2021–2024

James Franklin

Penn State

2025

Terry Smith

Penn State

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: James Franklin → Terry Smith. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Carolina2026 NFL rookie season

#151Rd 5 · Pick 11

Carolina2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Penn State7-6HC: James Franklin · Balanced

2022Penn State11-2HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning

2023Penn State10-3HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning

2024Penn State13-3HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning

2025Penn State7-6HC: Terry Smith · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

63Quality starter #158 of 544?

Medium confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (98th percentile). Strength: tackles (93rd percentile). Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Solo tackles#61 / 2975 · 98th pct

Tackles#216 / 2975 · 93rd pct

QB hurries#457 / 2975 · 82nd pct

Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct

Forced fumbles#36 / 687 · 47th pct

Tackles for loss#1424 / 2975 · 47th pct

2.0

Interceptions#304 / 817 · 31st pct

Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct

0.0

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	4.9	0.0	0.0	0.1
Road5g	8.0	0.4	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	6.5	0.2	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	5.8	0.2	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Matt Campbell

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Impact starter

Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

63 · #158 of 544 safeties

Former four-star. Now #158 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Penn State	74	51	2.0	0.0	1	1	--
2024	Penn State	86	53	2.5	1.0	4	3	--
2023	Penn State	24	14	0.5	0.0	--	--	--
2022	Penn State	24	20	0.0	0.0	1	2	--
2021	Penn State	2	1	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		210	139	5.0	1.0	6	6	--

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 46-11vs Nevada	3	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 34-0vs Florida International	3	2	0.0	—	1
Wk 3	W 52-6vs Villanova	2	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 24-30vs Oregon	10	5	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 37-42@ UCLA	12	9	1.0	—	0	Season-high 12 tackles
Wk 7	L 21-22vs Northwestern	9	5	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 24-25@ Iowa	10	9	0.0	1	0
Wk 10	L 14-38@ Ohio State	7	6	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 24-27vs Indiana	5	3	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	W 28-10@ Michigan State	3	2	1.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 37-10vs Nebraska	2	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	W 40-36@ Rutgers	8	5	0.0	—	0
Total		74	51	2.0	1	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Zakee Wheatley

2021

2026

2025 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Impact starter

Career stats

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Box Safety

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