Freshmen Faces: Cornell Wheeler
Coming out of West Bloomfield (Mich.) High, Cornell Wheeler was considered a three-star prospect, the No. 463 overall player nationally and the No. 22 inside linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite. Despite being modestly rated by recruiting services, Wheeler was extremely productive at a very good school against very good competition. During his final two years at West Bloomfield, Wheeler racked up 295 tackles, including 22 for loss, three sacks and four forced fumbles. He might not be the biggest or the fastest linebacker on the field, but he's always going to make the most tackles.
Recruitment
Wheeler committed to Michigan on Sept. 25, 2018, becoming the second member of the class joining fellow in-stater Andre Seldon. His pledge also gave Michigan a foot in the door with West Bloomfield, one of the top talent-producing programs in the state that happens to be run by former Wolverine wide receiver Ron Bellamy. Wheeler accumulated 13 offers over his high school career with Michigan being one of his bigger tenders. He had opportunities from schools like Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri and Syracuse among others.
Player Breakdown/Player Comparison
Wheeler is all inside linebacker. He obviously doesn't have ideal height for the position at 6-0, but he's not sawed off. He's got decent length and actually runs quite well for a bulky 231 pounder. He's a thickly built, strong player who really does a good job of moving through the wash and using his size and strength to secure tackle after tackle, as evidenced by his eye-popping numbers.
Because of his build and ability to disengage blocks, fight through traffic, pick the correct holes and dissect plays quickly, Wheeler is tailor made to play in the middle of the second level of a defense. He's never going to be the slim and trim missile from his linebacker spot, but he can be big, strong, able to take on blocks and obviously, a tackling machine.
Even though stopping the run and making plays at or behind the line of scrimmage are Wheeler's strengths, he's actually quite good in coverage as well. He's not a blazer, but he runs well, maintains balance and plays with good technique in coverage. You wouldn't want him matching up with a slot receiver, but he'll be able to hold his own against running backs and tight ends. He always seems to play under control and rarely overextends himself in coverage, which are other reasons he's effective against the pass.
Because of Wheeler's less than ideal height, average speed and ability to make tackle after tackle, he reminds me of Sione Takitaki of the Cleveland Browns.
Takitaki made 198 tackles, including 22.5 for loss and nine sacks during his final two years at BYU. He also seemed to make a lot of big plays, which resulted in him being drafted by Cleveland in the third round of last year's draft because of it. He hasn't really found his way in the league just yet, but he's got the ability to carve out a nice career.
Takitaki has been billed as an average athlete with 4.63 speed, but also as a missile when it comes to going after a ball carrier. That sounds a lot like Wheeler as well, who will never wow you athletically, but definitely will when you look at the box score after a game.
The Draft Network said this about Takitaki ahead of the 2019 Draft, which will almost certainly be written about Wheeler when he's done with his college career.
"Everything he does is executed with physicality and aggression. Takitaki will stick his face in a fan and like it."
Wheeler does everything with a ton of force and it always results in the opponent being on the ground. As long as he can continue to get through the faster wash and disengage from bigger, better players in college, he'll rack up tackles in a winged helmet just like he did as a Laker.
2020 Outlook
Wheeler is an interesting prospect as a freshman for a couple of reasons. One is that he's going to be close to physically ready when the season begins. He's got a solid, stout and durable build at more than 230 pounds, which should only improve as he works out and eats right. Two, he's extremely mature, intelligent and experienced. As a four-year starter in a pretty complex defense, he's used to playing, making calls and learning both ahead of time and on the fly.
Michigan is in pretty good shape when it comes to its starting, traditional linebackers with Josh Ross and Cameron McGrone, but Wheeler just might be in line to earn some backup reps. He's not going to be intimidated and he will be mentally ready. It's all about the physical aspect of the game for Wheeler, which is going to be a big step up for a player who isn't an elite athlete.
