Recruiting Areas
Stefon Wheeler enters his fourth season at Rhode Island in 2022. He joined the staff as the offensive line coach in March of 2019.
In 2022, Wheeler oversaw a unit in which the same five players started all 11 games. Guards Nick Correia and Evan Lovell both earned CAA Football All-Conference recognition, with Correia earning second team honors and Lovell landing on the third team. Center Sebastian Delasoudas served as a team captain for the year. The team's two feature backs, Justice Antrum and Jaylen Smith, combined for 1,059 of the team's 1,469 yards on the ground, URI's highest rushing total in nine seasons.
In the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season, Wheeler's offensive line unit paved the way for the Rams to average 147.7 rushing yards per game. Rhody scored eight rushing touchdowns in just three games, and sophomore Nick Correia earned second team All-CAA Football honors.Â
In 2019, Wheeler coached consensus All-American and First Team All-CAA Football left tackle Kyle Murphy. Murphy was the anchor of the Rhode Island offensive line, starting 11 games at left tackle before missing the season finale with an injury. Also a team captain, Murphy was the primary reason the line allowed just 2.17 sacks per game despite team averaging a league-high 42 pass attempts per game. His blocking was a big reason Rhode Island was one of two teams in the league to top 3,500 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing. In addition to Murphy, Wheeler coached right tackle Kevin Lawrence, who signed with the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers in February of 2020.
Wheeler joins Rhode Island’s staff after five seasons at Wagner. During his time there, Wagner had eight offensive linemen earn all-conference recognition. Wheeler was Wagner's running game cordinator during his final two years. His squad had the league’s second-leading rusher in 2018, and the third-leading rusher in 2017.
From 2010-13, Wheeler was the offensive coordinator at Milford Academy Prep, where he also coached the linemen and running backs.
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After starring along the Milford offensive line in 2000, where he led the Falcons to a 10-3 record, Wheeler was awarded a full scholarship to Michigan State where he went on to start 35 games at left tackle. A two-time All-Big 10 Honorable Mention selection, he was voted to the Spartans First-Team All-Decade squad in 2012.
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A 2005 Michigan State graduate, Wheeler signed a free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and played in NFL Europa for the Cologne Centurions in 2007. While playing left tackle overseas, he helped open holes for the league's leading rusher. Later in 2007, Wheeler signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
updated 7/3/2021
Updated 3/20
