Quick Facts
Biography
Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (born February 4, 1997) is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Wheatley played college football at Michigan and Stony Brook.
Early life and high school
Wheatley played tight end and defensive end at Canisius High School, where he was also named The Buffalo News' player of the year. He was listed as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, who ranked him as the 13th best tight end prospect in the nation and the top ranked in New York state. ESPN also named him the No. 12 overall prospect in the nation. As a defensive end, Wheatley was ranked as the 25th-best prospect in the country and the top overall prospect in New York state by Scout.com.
Wheatley also held offers from Alabama, Florida, UCLA and USC, but committed to Michigan, his father's alma mater, on February 4, 2015.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrone Wheatley Jr. TE/DE | Buffalo, New York | Canisius High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Feb 4, 2015 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
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College career
Michigan
Wheatley, playing as a tight end, missed his entire true freshman season with a foot injury. He scored his first touchdown against Illinois on October 22, 2016. He finished the season with three receptions for 35 yards, playing in 12 games. In his sophomore season, Wheatley made his first collegiate start against Florida on September 2, 2017. He made three starts in the season, catching three receptions for 26 yards.
Wheatley fractured his metatarsal in his foot in March 2018, ruling him out for spring ball. On August 2, 2018, a day before Michigan started training camp, Wheatley announced that he would be departing the team.
Stony Brook
On August 5, 2018, Stony Brook announced that Wheatley had transferred to the Seawolves. Moving from FBS to FCS, he was eligible immediately. Wheatley made his first start at tight end for Stony Brook on September 22 against Richmond. Wheatley started in eight games for Stony Brook, recording six receptions for 36 yards on the season.
After the season, Wheatley transferred to Morgan State, where his father, Tyrone Wheatley, was in his first year as the head coach, but did not play in a single game or record any statistics.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | |||||||||||
| Values from Pro Day | ||||||||||||
The Spring League
Wheatley played for the Blues in the 2021 Spring League season, converting from tight end to offensive tackle.
Chicago Bears
He signed with the Chicago Bears on June 17, 2021. Wheatley was waived during final roster cuts, but re-signed to the team's practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Bears on January 11, 2022. He was waived on May 6, 2022.
Las Vegas Raiders
On May 15, 2022, Wheatley signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. On August 16, 2022, Wheatley was waived by the Raiders.
Cleveland Browns
On September 20, 2022, Wheatley signed with the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 9, 2023.
New England Patriots
On August 27, 2023, Wheatley was traded to the New England Patriots in exchange for Pierre Strong Jr. He was placed on injured reserve on October 14, 2023.
Personal life
Wheatley is the son of Tyrone Wheatley, former Michigan running back and first-round NFL draft pick. Wheatley Sr. is currently the head coach at Wayne State.