Michigan State welcomes linebacker Caleb Wheatland as a new addition to its defensive rebuild
Auburn linebacker Caleb Wheatland has committed from Auburn to MSU after visiting on Jan. 3. More here.
Michigan State is set to welcome a new face to its defense after linebacker Caleb Wheatland confirmed his decision to transfer from Auburn and spend his last year of collegiate football eligibility with the Spartans. Wheatland, who comes from Centreville, Virginia, and stands at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, brings a wealth of experience and talent to the green-and-whites' defensive unit.
Wheatland visited Michigan State on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4.
Before his time at Auburn, Wheatland spent his first three seasons with the University of Maryland, where he was a consistent player for the Terrapins’ defense. In his freshman season (2022), he appeared in 11 games, with one start, where he totaled 17 tackles and two tackles for loss. In the following year, Wheatland proved himself even more, playing in all 13 games and finishing second on the team in both sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (5.5), while also totaling 41 tackles that season. Wheatland totaled 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks at MSU that year.
In 2024, his junior year, Wheatland started all 11 games and racked up an impressive stat line, with 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two passes defensed, and one fumble recovery. He broke his own records with a career-high seven tackles versus USC in October 2024.
This past season, Wheatland transferred to Auburn, but his time there was limited as he appeared in just three games for the Tigers. Wheatland saw action against Ball State, South Alabama, and Mercer. During this brief stretch, he recorded just one tackle, which allowed him to preserve his redshirt year.
Now, in his final season of eligibility, Caleb Wheatland is welcomed to East Lansing by the Spartans' new head coach Pat Fitzgerald and new co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Max Bullough. The Spartans plan to host many more defensive player visits in January, but Wheatland is already a veteran addition to the roster with the potential to make an immediate impact.