James Franklin explains how safety Zakee Wheatley has become a turnover specialist

Penn State head coach James Franklin hasn’t been surprised by the play of safety Zakee Wheatley so far this season. The second-year Nittany Lion had an interception versus Auburn in Week 3 and a forced fumble in Week 1.

“Like a lot of you guys have covered already, he did it in the spring, he was our turnover king in the spring, he was turnover king during training camp,” Franklin said. “He’s got a knack for finding a ball.

“We really believe in recruiting defensive backs that we think could play wideout, we think he could and that’s translated. He has a lot of confidence in his ball skills and just seems to have a knack for it. He’s always at the right place at the right time. It won’t surprise me if this continues to trend with him throughout his career.”

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The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety transitioned from cornerback this offseason to play Penn State’s free safety role. Coming out of high school in Maryland, Wheatley was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 322-ranked player in the nation and No. 21 safety, according to the On3 Consensus.

The Nittany Lions have a home game this weekend versus Central Michigan. Kickoff is set for noon on the Big Ten Network. Central Michigan has the 50th scoring offense in the nation, putting up 36.3 points per game. Chippewas quarterback Daniel Richardson has thrown two interceptions so far this season, including one last week versus Bucknell.

Franklin raves about Abdul Carter

True freshman linebacker Abdul Carter has carved himself a solid role in Penn State’s defense just three games into his college career, and head coach James Franklin really isn’t surprised.

“I know mom is really happy that he’s now at Penn State, cause when we went to do the home visit — and I’m not exaggerating — you walk into the house and when you first walk into the house: hardwood floors and the weight room is set up, getting him ready for Penn State,” Franklin said. “… And I know she was happy when he came to Penn State because she was able to get that stuff, I think, back into the basement is where they told me it was.

“But, just very focused. Very determined. Very driven. And just like dad told me, very mature and focused. And you combine that with his physical traits and you’ve got a chance. You guys have heard me say before, there are guys that are physically ready but they’re not mentally ready.”

Carter came to Penn State at 6-foot-3 and around 230 pounds. He pairs the size with impressive play speed and corresponding strength. He has played in all three games for Penn State so far with 11 total tackles — including a sack and tackle for loss — plus a forced fumble.

On3’s Andrew Graham contributed to this report.