Coach | 2021 Notre Dame ATH Target Zakee Wheatley A "True Two-Way Player"

When it comes to boxes, 2021 Maryland athlete Zakee Wheatley‍ checks them, according to Archbishop Spalding head coach Kyle Schmitt.

He certainly checked enough to receive a scholarship offer from Notre Dame last month.

“I would probably start with the fact that he’s strong academically,” says Schmitt. “That obviously opens a lot of doors for him with a place like Notre Dame.

“Secondly, he’s a true two-way player. That opens the doors for a lot of programs who like him on both sides of the football.”

Notre Dame has been pretty clear that it likes him at defensive back, but offensive coordinator Tommy Rees had to be intrigued when he watched him play hoops over the winter.

The other thing Wheatley has at 6-2, 180 pounds is length.

“Everybody wants length,” says Schmitt. “You see the top programs in the country recruiting tall, long players because it’s something you can’t teach. There are a lot of tall, basketball-looking type guys out there, but he brings it together with ball skills that are as elite as I’ve seen at this level with his ability to catch the football on offense or defense.”

He brings some grit to the field as well.

“He’s tough enough to block the perimeter on offense and tackle on defense,” his coach says. “He’ll come up and play man-to-man coverage and jam them. I think when you combine those things, it really makes a lot of sense. He’s a really fluid, smooth athlete. They’re hard to find.”

When schools ask him anout what position Wheatley should play, Schmitt turns the question back around and asks them whether they want a safety who can cover, a corner who can tackle or a big receiver who can block, catch, run good routes and be a weapon in the red zone.

Penn State sees him as a safety, Virginia likes him at corner or safety while Wisconsin is recruiting him as a receiver.

“I wouldn’t pigeon-hole him and say he’s got to be this, this and this,” says Schmitt. “It’s really what do programs want.”

Schmitt appreciates the programs that take their time to student Wheatley and come to their own conclusion.

“Schools having a plan and saying, ‘This is what we see you doing,’ is really important to him,” says Schmitt. “I have a lot of respect for the programs and Notre Dame is one of those. They clearly took their time and made sure they knew what they wanted him as and they offered him.

“Instead of saying, ‘Hey, you can play whenever you want, we’re going to offer you and then go to the next school and offer five more guys.’ That’s not how Notre Dame does it…An offer from Notre Dame is a big deal because it means something.”

Earlier in the month, Wheatley released a Top 8 of Northwestern, Pitt, Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin, but that is sure to expand now.

His timeline for bringing the process to an end is also likely to expand.

“Originally the thought process was to get this thing done around early-June,” says Schmitt.

Wheatly was planning to do some official visits this spring and decide before his team began summer workouts.

“Clearly, that’s not going to happen,” says Schmitt.

The coach also expects Wheatley to get to South Bend before making a final decision.

“I would think for sure he will.”