Michael Wheat Michael Wheat 5'9" | 185 lbs | ATH St. John the Baptist | 2024 State NY is an extremely athletic athlete who played nearly every position in high school. Wheat is explosive and twitchy and has good play strength. Wheat is a player who is always involved around the ball and has a natural feel for the game with the ability to read and react as a defender. I think Wheat’s best position will end up being safety or nickel corner at the next level but will likely earn his earliest work through special teams.

The ultimate playmaker for St John’s is back and he’ll be anchoring this Cougars defense. Fresh off of an offer from Bentley, Wheat is a hard hitting defensive back and will be the quarterback of this defense. Wheat will also be a playmaker on offense, he can make an impact as either a quarterback or a running back this season on that side of the ball.

The only “AA” player to crack the top 5 and Michael Wheat Michael Wheat 5'9" | 185 lbs | ATH St. John the Baptist | 2024 State NY was able to come in 5th place in the voting. The electrifying product from St John ‘s was an entertainer during his junior season and this past summer. During his junior year he was an excellent ball carrier. Wheat has the combination of breakaway speed and extremely tough downhill running. He had plays where he would run over defenders and breakaway for long runs and always got plenty of yards after contact. But where he excels the most is at defensive back. At the Nassau County Showcase, he won almost every 1v1 rep he had. And at 7v7’s with St John’s he was a fast safety, breaking up a lot of passes. Wheat displayed leadership and the right type of “swagger” on the football field to have his team filled with energy.

This season people are gonna see how exciting of a player Michael Wheat Michael Wheat 5'9" | 185 lbs | ATH St. John the Baptist | 2024 State NY is on the football field. He projects best at defensive back for the next level and I could see him being a great safety. He’s a tenacious and skilled player who brings a lot of speed and toughness to this St John’s defense. He’s a great leader for this secondary and he also showed that in man coverage he can do more than just hold his own. Wheat is as good of an athlete we will see in the AA this year. I’m interested to see how they’ll use him on offense and if they’ll let him be a work horse type running back.

Michael Wheat Michael Wheat 5'9" | 185 lbs | ATH St. John the Baptist | 2024 State NY is one of those players who will excel at whatever position you put him at. Wheat does a really good job winning reps with athleticism but his football instincts are really evident on tape. He played a lot of QB last season but that was likley the only position he did not project for at the next level. This year we get a full-time ATH/RB/WR/CB/S/OLB so basically every position besides OL/DL/QB. A full season of Wheat showcasing some of the best football you will see. He may be undersized but he understands how to utilize space and win with quickness on offense while showcasing good coverage skills and some really good ability to diagnose what the offense is doing.

Another standout defensive back in this one, Wheat was locking up almost every receiver he went against. He broke on the ball very well and he seemed like he was a step ahead of other corners when it came to IQ. Last year Wheat played all over the field for St John’s and it was evident that he was one of the best pure athletes on the field at the showcase. His combination of strength, quickness, leaping ability and ball skills were present.

Michael Wheat Michael Wheat 5'9" | 185 lbs | ATH St. John the Baptist | 2024 State NY is another athlete on this list who excels at about four different positions. On offensive, Wheat played a lot of QB where he was always a threat with the ball in his hands. Wheat is very elusive and does a good job of avoiding tacklers. Throwing the ball, Wheat showed some consistency throughout the season and throws a solid deep ball. His value on offense comes more as a runner where his quickness and cutting ability make him a consistent big play threat. On defense, Wheat is a really solid defensive back who could play multiple positions in the secondary. Wheat is a physical tackler and does a good job of being a factor in the run game down hill. Wheat is solid in coverage where he reads the game well and showcases really solid ball skills.