Former Michigan TE and current OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. traded to the Patriots
Former Michigan TE and son of the Michigan legend, Tyrone Wheatley Jr, has been traded to the Patriots after a strong preseason with the Browns. After being a heavier TE at Michigan and refusing to bulk up to being a tackle like the staff encouraged him to, Wheatley Jr. transferred to Morgan State. He has since seemingly taken that advice and bulked up from 265 to 320 pounds and is finding success in preseason to the point where the Patriots have traded for him for help their OL
August 27th, 2023 at 7:42 PM ^
World class post 🏆
August 27th, 2023 at 9:13 PM ^
Always the right answer. You could also add staee anf the fig things to it.
August 27th, 2023 at 5:42 PM ^
It’s amazing to me that recruits/players don’t listen to our coaching staff with their history of putting guys in the NFL that are playing “out of position”.
August 27th, 2023 at 5:53 PM ^
Zach Gentry did listen and he became TE in the NFL. Doubt he’d be a QB there.
August 27th, 2023 at 9:15 PM ^
That sports writer from New Mexico probably still disagrees. Dude still holds Uncle Rico like-aspirations for Zach.
August 27th, 2023 at 6:18 PM ^
Kids will be kids.
August 27th, 2023 at 6:53 PM ^
James Hudson was another guy where the staff said "be an OL" and he transferred, at least in part, to Cincy because he thought he should stay on the defensive line. Of course he then went to the Bearcats, made all-conference as an OL, then got drafted in the 4th round as an OL.
Kids are kids and I get that it can be hard changing where you think you should play on a football field but it's still sort of funny seeing these guys get success when they just believe a staff knows the best position for them.
August 28th, 2023 at 5:13 AM ^
Kids in America grow up with "live your dream" and "prove them wrong" and "find your passion and don't let anyone stand in your way" narratives continuously. It's hard enough to develop self-belief and confidence. Harder still to abandon that and listen to counseling to change course.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:17 AM ^
It's about finding the balance between "prove them wrong" and "listen to good advice."
Blue-chip recruits have extreme self-confidence, and you need that to succeed at the college level and then the NFL. The issue is that they are teenagers, and they are being forced to make very adult decisions under intense scrutiny at a young age. It's easy for us to say "why didn't he just listen to these well-qualified coaches?" But the stakes are much higher for them, and following advice to abandon your chosen position in favor of one where you'd have to build back up must be terrifying.
Also, while the advice to Wheatley, Jr. turned out to be sound, I remember Michigan signaling that they would turn A.J. Dillon into a linebacker. He ended up flipping to Boston College instead, turning into an elite RB prospect, and getting drafted in the 2nd round by the Packers, where he's quietly having a very solid career.
If he had listened to our coaches, maybe he would've become an excellent NFL LB, but the choice he made worked out pretty darn well.
August 27th, 2023 at 5:51 PM ^
I had no idea he was still playing. Good for him. Also, Alan Bowman was named starting QB for Oklahoma State.
August 27th, 2023 at 8:43 PM ^
Someone posted this summer that Michigan could have 4 former QBs starting for D1 teams this year.
JJ-the good guys
Cade-Iowa
Milton-TN
Bowman OK ST.
Is Dylan McCaffery still playing for Northern Colorado, or is he out of eligibility? Dylan would make 5.
August 27th, 2023 at 6:27 PM ^
When I did my Diary of all TEs in the Harbaugh era, my commentary on Ty Wheatley Jr. was that he ignored his fall on the depth chart and a position coach FAMOUS for taking TE and making them into pro OL. He was INSISTENT that he was a tight end…one that couldn’t run very fast or catch terribly well, nor keep his weight under control for the position, but damn could he block…
He then transferred to Stony Brook, where they ALSO tried to beg him into playing OL, and he was like “nah fam” to them too.
Then, in 2021, he FINALLY got the hint “hey dude, if you’re really a TE your football days are done.” Converted to OT in Spring League, and IMMEDIATELY was signed by an NFL team - seriously, he didn’t even have to finish Spring League play.
Glad he’s still in the pros, but boy did he make it tough on himself.
August 27th, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
He was born rich and that is what rich kids do.
August 27th, 2023 at 7:43 PM ^
Kyeblue with the aggressive, unsubstantiated classism take - didn’t see that one coming
August 27th, 2023 at 8:36 PM ^
"classism" lmfao, won't someone think of how blog comments affect the affluent??
August 27th, 2023 at 8:40 PM ^
In California? Nobody.
August 27th, 2023 at 8:47 PM ^
😂 username definitely checks out
August 27th, 2023 at 7:49 PM ^
…what?
August 27th, 2023 at 8:45 PM ^
My favorite anecdote along those lines is that of Mark Andrews, who came out of high school refusing to be a tight end. He wanted to be a 6'6", 230 lb. receiver at Oklahoma...
...and now he's one of the top two or three tight ends in the NFL.
Maliq Carr also insisted on being a wide receiver, but he ended up at TE for Purdue and MSU.
August 28th, 2023 at 3:08 AM ^
True, but imagine your dad was a great RB and people are telling you that you can't run. At least he's listening now, but it'd be a hard journey for anyone.
August 27th, 2023 at 7:03 PM ^
Imagine that….coaches at a major university knew what they were talking about. Kids, if the Michigan staff thinks you’d be best served by trying a new position, just listen to them.
August 28th, 2023 at 11:01 AM ^
Many are hesitant to get over 300lbs.
August 27th, 2023 at 7:06 PM ^
Never give up on your dreams kid. He's got a better chance of catching passes under The Hoodie.
August 27th, 2023 at 8:47 PM ^
Just do it.
Make your dreams come true.
-Shia La Beouf
August 27th, 2023 at 9:13 PM ^
(actual cannibal)
August 27th, 2023 at 7:59 PM ^
It made total sense for him to become a LT and I couldn't figure out why he and his dad resisted. LT is a far more covered and compensated position at the next level.
August 27th, 2023 at 8:35 PM ^
Yeah, unless you're literally one of the best couple TEs you won't be paid like an even average OT.
August 27th, 2023 at 8:34 PM ^
Yeah, one has to wonder what could have been if he'd listened to the staff and let OL U develop him there.
August 27th, 2023 at 8:49 PM ^
Remember the Kaiju back in 2016-2017? TWJ, Devin Asiasi.
August 27th, 2023 at 9:45 PM ^
I can't believe that was already 7 years ago. Or that TWJ and Asiasi didn't stick around to become fully weaponized in the Harbaughfense
August 27th, 2023 at 11:15 PM ^
Nice Work Wheatley!
August 28th, 2023 at 6:43 AM ^
Well well well. Same thing with Richard Sherman - hated Harbaugh for not letting him play receiver at Stanford. Maybe he knows what he’s doing. If he told me to gain 30 pounds because I’m out of position, I’d run the numbers (decades of experience with everything football) and immediately do just that. I think kids get this image in their head of what they want to be and will force their will to have that happen. A lot of HS QBs won’t switch and end their careers. This is part of the intangible culture rating in recruiting. Is the kid willing to do anything for the team to win? Or is he worried about his stat line and getting awards so he can boost his stock. Just one of the many boxes to check to build a team like UM has right now.
August 28th, 2023 at 11:04 AM ^
Tebow waited too long to switch. He and Brady in the Pats preseason was a lesson in contrasts.
August 29th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
Same thing with Richard Sherman - and same thing with AJ Dillon.
Sometimes they're right, sometimes they aren't.
August 28th, 2023 at 7:39 AM ^
Pats OL room now includes Wheatley, Michael Onwenu, and Andrew Stueber (though it’s expected he won’t make it past 53-man cuts tomorrow).
August 28th, 2023 at 9:39 AM ^
I wouldn't have thought Wheatly would already be better than Stuber. If so, it really emphasizes how big a mistake it was for him to refuse to switch positions for so long.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:53 AM ^
Just looked it up. He had a non-football related hamstring injury that caused him to miss the entire 2022 season. That would account for it. Very unfortunate. Whatever he was doing that led to that injury, it cost him a lot of money. A reminder to all the young guys that the degree is important.
August 28th, 2023 at 11:05 AM ^
Degrees have nada to do with wealth. Compound interest is your friend.
August 28th, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
Hopefully Zinter returns to MA next spring!!!!!
August 28th, 2023 at 10:13 AM ^
He actually transferred to Stoney Brook and played a season... transferred from there to Morgan State, but never played a snap.
August 28th, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
The 5 Guys location in Patriots Place must be celebrating this trade!!