HOKIES 2017 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE

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H I GH SCHOOL

Spent the 2016 season at Fork Union Military Academy playing for head coach

John Shuman … Played his senior season at Pioneer High School for head

coach Jari Brown … Played for four different high schools as he followed his

father, Tyrone – a 10-year NFL veteran and one of Michigan’s top running backs

in program history – to various coaching stops … Excelled on the track team,

finishing second in the long jump (23-10.75) and sixth in the high jump (6-

05.00) at the 2016 Division 1 state meet … Broke school records in the indoor

and outdoor long jump events en route to earning the 2016 Ann Arbor News

Boys Track athlete of the year award.

PERSONAL

Sone of Tyrone Wheatley and Kimberly Wheatley … Born on August 9, 1998 in

Ridgewood, New Jersey … Has two brothers – TJ and Tyrique – and two sisters

– Tiana and Tamari … Undecided on major.

KANSAS

Played two seasons for the Jayhawks … Started the final eight games of his

freshman season … Threw for a Kansas freshman record 1,719 yards with

nine touchdowns … Threw for a touchdown in six-straight contests … Played

in seven games as a sophomore with two starts … Threw for 811 yards and

three touchdowns.

H I GH SCHOOL

Rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports.com coming out of

Bishop Miege HS … Played for head coach Jon Holmes at BMHS... Threw for

5,986 yards and 65 touchdowns during his two seasons as the Stags’ starting

quarterback … Named to the Wichita Eagle’s Top 11 All-State team and was an

All-Class 4A first-team selection in 2014 … Helped his team to an unblemished

13-0 record and a 2014 Class 4A state title after completing 179-of-283

passes for 3,003 yards and 35 touchdowns … Also ran 52 times for 182 yards

and four touchdowns … Eastern Kansas League Player of the Year as a senior

and was also named a finalist for the Simone Award … Concluded his junior

season in 2013 with 174 completions for 2,983 yards and 31 touchdowns on

his way to a his second-straight first-team All-Eastern Kansas League selection

and an Honorable Mention All-State bid.

PERSONAL

Son of Lois and Steve Willis … Has two older sisters, Lauren and Abby... Father,

Steve, played football at Kansas State … Mother, Lois, competed in track and

field at Iowa State … Sister, Lauren, played basketball at Oklahoma … Sister,

Abby, played basketball at Saint Louis University.

6-0 · 189 · FRESHMAN · ANN ARBOR, MICH. · PIONEER

6-4 · 218 · JUNIOR · OVERLAND PARK, KAN. · BISHOP MIEGE

T E R I U S

WHEAT L EY

R Y A N

WI L L I S

H I GH SCHOOL

Played for head coach Darryl Robinson at Stonewall Jackson High School …

Played in just two games as a senior before tearing his ACL … Threw for almost

500 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for close to 300 yards as a junior …

Rushed 22 times for 101 yards, caught four passes for 63 yards and was 13 for

28 with one interception and 140 yards as a passer in 2014.

PERSONAL

Son of Sherry and Myrl Smith … Has three brothers and four sisters … Born on

November 1, 1998 in Fairfax, Virginia … Undecided on major.

H I GH SCHOOL

Was listed as the top cornerback in the state of New Jersey and the fifth-

best cornerback in the east region by Scout.com … 2016 All-Group 5 first-

team by

NJ.com

… Second-team all-state by NJ12 Varsity … Defensively, he

finished with 75 total tackles, 53 solo, with 5.0 tackles for loss. Watts added

two interceptions and 19 pass defenses along with seven fumble recoveries

to his totals … Earned three varsity letters for head coach Dave Oizerowitz at

Toms River North High School … Watts had 412 career rushing yards, 1,336

receiving yards and has 17 total touchdowns.

PERSONAL

Son of Christopher Watts and Melanie Hester … Has three brothers and two

sisters … Mother and stepfather ran track at Rutgers … Born on May 26, 1998

… Majoring in criminal justice.

H I GH SCHOOL

Played for head coach Jason Strickland at Fitzgerald High School … Three-

time GHSA All-Region honoree … Caught seven passes for 132 yards in five

games with two touchdowns as a senior … 2015 2A first-team all-state by the

Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Second-team all-state selection by the Georgia

State Writers.

6-1 · 198 · FRESHMAN · MANASSAS, VA. · STONEWALL JACKSON

6-1 · 185 · FRESHMAN · TOMS RIVER, N.J. · TOMS RIVER NORTH

6-3 · 285 · FRESHMAN · FITZGERALD, GA. · FITZGERALD

D E V A N T E

SMI TH

B R Y C E

WAT TS

L E C I T U S

SMI TH

PERSONAL

Brother Mo played at Nebraska and just completed his third NFL season.