How Zakee Wheatley and Keaton Ellis can step up at safety for Penn State in 2023

We’re down to Penn State’s secondary as we break down how the Nittany Lions are projected to shape up at every position heading into the fall. We’ll start our look at the third level of the defense with the safeties — a group replacing one of the best to ever play the position in Happy Valley.

Let’s take a look at who could step up in the 2023 season.

Projected starters: Senior Keaton Ellis and redshirt sophomore Zakee Wheatley

This is one of the most interesting spots on the defense because of who is being replaced. Ji’Ayir Brown exhausted his eligibility after multiple years as an elite safety and team leader, and now defensive coordinator Manny Diaz will have to replace him. Brown was a versatile weapon for the unit who could line up at all three levels and help in every facet of the game. His versatility was a staple of the Nittany Lions but that doesn’t mean that’s how the team will replace him. The two projected starters bring enough to the table to help fill the void even if they can’t do everything he can.

Ellis is already one of the team’s captains and will help be a voice for the defense this season, but his place as a starter isn’t just about how he can help as a leader. The State College native is a good athlete that should bring some of the nontraditional abilities that made Brown stand out. He started his career on the outside as a corner but bulked up and moved to safety and has been a steady rotation player when he’s taken the field. He can cover well, translating some of those abilities at his former position to his new one, and his strength can make him a viable threat to cover tight ends. He’s a solid tackler who is a steady presence in all facets of his game. While Ellis may not have the upside of some of the team’s other safeties, he’s the player who is most likely to hold his starting spot throughout the season.

Wheatley, like Ellis, began his career at corner and has blossomed at safety. He’s a true ball hawk in the deep middle of the field, relying on his instincts, intelligence and ball skills to find the ball, track it in the air and go and get it. He had two interceptions last season and that number could triple if he’s a full-time starter this year. He has great height and length to go up and beat receivers at the catch point and his cornerback skills should help him cover tight ends and running backs — and even some slot receivers — if the Nittany Lions ask him to do that. Wheatley is also competitive in the running game, where he’s not afraid to mix it up and get physical when he has to. He’s a willing, and good, tackler, who will make plays near the line of scrimmage. The one area where we haven’t seen a ton from Wheatley is as a blitzer, but if the flashes hold up and he plays with the same aggression and physicality that he does against the run, he’ll be an asset there too.

Key backups: Junior Jaylen Reed and sophomore Kevin Winston Jr.

Ellis and Wheatley should start but I would expect this position to have a fairly heavy rotation this season. That’s not a statement about the quality of the two starters, but rather how deep the team is at safety. Reed or Winston could slot in for the other two and it’s unlikely the defense would miss a beat. Both bring their own positive qualities that would make them a starter on most Big Ten teams, and the latter could end up being one of the more impactful players at the position in the long run.

Reed is the veteran who should be solidly in the rotation this year. He came to Penn State as an in the box, big hitting safety who does his best work against the run and by making plays on receivers after they catch passes. He’s taken clear steps forward in the passing game in his time as a Nittany Lion and has given reason to believe he could continue improving on that front. Just like the other players named, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is a starter at any point this season. He’s impactful enough to get on the field early in games, even if he needs to get better in coverage. Right now that involves being better at covering players in man coverage, but also includes his ability to sit in a zone and make a play on the ball when it’s in the air.

Winston might have the most upside of any safety on the team right now. He has a great size and speed combination, measuring in at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds. He’s a true sophomore who is likely to be too good this year to keep off the field. Winston can cover in man coverage, sits in a zone well and tracks the quarterback and receivers, and he is a strong and physical support player in the running game. If there’s any player who can replicate most of what Brown does, it’s Winston even if that happens next year instead of this year. This year, he should be a valuable piece who flashes the upside to be more as he becomes more consistent.

Freshman to watch: True freshman King Mack

Safety is a spot where true freshmen can play early and that might end up being the case for Mack. He’s an excellent athlete but is slightly undersized at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds. He should be able to play on special teams early because of his athleticism and can put himself in a position to crack the rotation at safety in 2023. Mack has played corner and his coverage skills should translate — very much a theme with this group — early on. He doesn’t have great size to help in the run game, but he could still be a contributor there with a willingness to tackle. That’s something we’ll have to wait to see when he hits the field for the Nittany Lions.