Drake Cheatum

Position:
Safety
Height:
5-10
Weight:
191
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Mesquite, Texas
High School:
West Mesquite
Prev School:
Prairie View A&M Univ.

CAREER HONORS
• 2022 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Baylor)
• 2021 HBCU All-America
• 2021 First Team All-SWAC
• 2019 First Team All-SWAC

CAREER: Played in 51 career games with 44 starts, including starts in all 14 games during his lone season at K-State in 2022... Left K-State ranking second among active Big 12 players in career interceptions per game (0.20), sixth in tackles per game (5.71) and sixth in passes defended per game (0.51).

2022: Started all 14 games, finishing second on the team with 74 tackles to go along with a half tackle for loss, an interception, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles... His two forced fumbles came in Big 12 play as he tied for first in the conference... Earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors after totaling five tackles and an interception in K-State’s 31-3 victory at Baylor... Tallied a season-high 10 tackles against Kansas, which included a career-high tying nine solo stops... Also had nine total tackles in the Big 12 Championship against TCU and the Sugar Bowl against Alabama.

2021 AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M: Started all 12 games, finishing with a team-high 86 tackles to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 10 total pass breakups... Earned First Team All-SWAC and HBCU All-America honors... Ranked 14th in the FCS and tops in the SWAC in interceptions, while he was fifth in the conference in tackles... Had two interceptions at Bethune-Cookman before repeating that mark one week later against Southern... Was the only player in the FCS to record multiple interceptions in consecutive weeks... Returned one of his interceptions against Bethune-Cookman 62 yards for a touchdown... Had a career-high 14 tackles against Mississippi Valley State, which included a season-best seven solo stops... Set a career high with 1.5 tackles for loss against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

2020 AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M: Started all three games of PVAMU’s COVID-shortened spring 2021 season... Had a season-best eight tackles in the opener against Texas Southern... Also had a pass breakup against Tigers and one the next week at Grambling.

2019 AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M: Saw time in all 11 games with eight starts as he picked up First Team All-SWAC accolades... Finished third on the team with 66 tackles, while he was second with three interceptions... Produced eight total pass breakups... Carded a season-high 12 tackles to go along with a tackle for loss, pass breakup and fumble recovery at Houston... His other TFL on the year was against Virginia-Lynchburg... His three interceptions on the year came against Grambling, a Southern and at Alabama State.

2018 AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M: Saw action in 11 games with starts in each of the final seven contests... Had a season-best 11 tackles in his first-career start at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which included his first-career tackle for loss... Came back to the next week with his first-career interception against Grambling... Had another double-digit tackle effort against Alcorn State when he had 10 stops.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played at West Mesquite under head coach Jeff Neill... Totaled 194 tackles over his junior and senior seasons to go along with four interceptions and five total passes defended... Earned first team all-district honors as a senior, while he was on the 2016 and 2017 academic all-state teams... Returned eight kickoffs for a 16.1-yard average... Also competed in basketball and track.

PERSONAL: Drake Cheatum was born June 10, 2000, in Dallas, Texas... Son of Donna Ware and Dennis Cheatum... Has three siblings.