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Position: CB/S
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 180
Hometown: Norfolk, Va
High School: Norfolk Christian HS
Year: RS Freshman
Wil Wahee was probably the least heralded of the quartet of Norfolk Christian players in the Hoos' 2012 recruiting class. However, he's probably the closest to seeing the field regularly. Courtney Wynn is no longer on the team, Kwontie Moore is behind Henry Coley and Mario Nixon is converting to TE.
Recruited to play DB, Wahee was rated as a 3 star athlete by ESPN, and ranked #120 at the position. Rivals rated him as a 2 star athlete and Scout had him as a 2 star CB ranked #161 in the country. He played WR, DB and LB in HS, and was slotted at S when he arrived in Charlottesville last year. At just 180 pounds, he seems a bit small for a S, and he's been on the depth chart as a backup CB since spring practice ended.
CB is likely where Wahee will find the most success. He's not really a lockdown CB though. He's at his best in a zone scheme. He's fast, in the 4.5 range. That isn't elite speed, but it's pretty fast. Having played LB in HS, he's pretty good at coming up and making plays in the running game. This may be why he was slotted at S. And he could probably play FS in the right scheme, because of his speed and range. He has a tendency to try to "read" the QB, which gets players into trouble more often than not at this level.
Wahee has shown a pretty good ability to slip past blockers, using his quickness to knife through traffic. He's physical, but he's simply not big enough nor strong enough to consistently bring down a bigger back. As a nickel back, he'd be able to cover a RB coming out of the backfield, while also being able to get back into a deep zone, and also providing cover in case of a draw or other running play. His best asset is his versatility.
Wahee also has some skills well suited for the return game, but with the number of weapons the Hoos have, that isn't likely. He may, however, get some run on return teams and coverage teams. He's fast enough to be a good gunner, and he's very physical for a smaller guy, so he should be a willing blocker.
Despite being on the roster as a SS, Wahee is currently listed as the primary backup to Nicholson at one CB spot, but I can't see that lasting into the season. Wahee may be listed there because of his ability in a substitution packge. He won't be the first CB off the bench (that'll be either Maurice Canady or DraQuan Hoskey, depending on who starts), but he'll be an option off the bench down the road.
If Wahee can develop his cover skills, he's got a shot to be a good CB in the right systems. And if he can build up his body a bit more and put on 20 pounds of muscle while keeping up his quickness, he could end up back at SS. For now, he'll stick with special teams and the occasional substitution package rep as an extra DB.