Kentucky Football: Top linebacker Tevin Wallace makes it official he’s a Wildcat

Kentucky football swoops into Georgia and signs stud Trevin Wallace

The devil went down to Georgia, and he got himself a linebacker to play for Kentucky football.

Coach Jon Sumrall landed one of the top recruits in the Mark Stoops era on Wednesday, in 4-star linebacker Trevin Wallace. It couldn’t have come at a better time for Kentucky Football when one of the biggest positions of need for Kentucky in 2021 will be at linebacker.

Wallace was previously committed to Boston College but de-committed back in November when he started to rise in the national recruiting rankings and the Southeastern Conference offers started to come in the mail by the truckload.

Kentucky fought off a bevy of SEC foes like Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee for Wallace and came out the victor in the end.

Stoops could not have been happier with his prized catch.

"“Trevin is as talented an inside linebacker as we have recruited here,” Stoops said. “He jumps off the tape as you watch film. He’s the type of athlete with the potential to make an immediate impact.”"

He joins a very talented group that signed in the early signing period last month.

At 6-foot-2 220-pounds Wallace is very quick and should make a big impact for the Kentucky defense.

Wallace is a very versatile athlete and played all over the field in high school including a receiver, running back, quarterback, and multiple linebacker spots. He also returns punts and kickoffs. On defense as a senior, he had 96 tackles, including 12 for a loss to go with five sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception on defense as a senior

Just in case they need him to run he tallied 78 rushes for 910 yards and seven touchdowns while pulling in 10 catches for 79 yards. And he runs track as well.

https://twitter.com/RowlandRIVALS/status/1356970674074636290

Six weeks ago Auburn was probably the favorite to land Wallace but after the firing of Gus Malzahn and the departure of much of the staff including Kevin Steele, that completely opened up Wallace’s recruitment again.

Wallace is a four-star by most recruiting services but the consensus is he’s really a five-star. The Georgia native is the sixth-ranked inside linebacker in the country and has the versatility to play other positions on either side of the ball.

Recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks gave rave reviews on Wallace, and here is his scouting report.

"Owns the requisite build for a traditional off-ball linebacker. Highly varied positional experience with big-play ability across the board. Dynamic do-it-all high school football player. Snaps at receiver, running back, QB, and multiple linebacker spots, plus reps as a kick and punt returner. Often aligned as an OLB, including standing on the edge, and has even lined up over the slot in some passing downs. Flashes terrific burst and acceleration that translate to his numerous roles at the high school level. Physical player who does not shy from contact whether defending or with the ball. Motor runs hot. Great top-end speed, especially for a linebacker projection. Hits the long ball on offense and is not tracked down in the open field. Dangerous one-cut runner with enough close-quarters wiggle to redirect pretty naturally. Speed verified in track setting with strong 11.08 100. Impressive overall track and field profile that includes the 100, 200, 110 hurdles, high jump, long jump, and shot put. Natural striker as a tackler. Closes fast and arrives with purpose. Fully capable of the big hit. Could need some time to adjust to playing one spot full-time. Potential to fit multiple defensive schemes as a natural run-and-hit linebacker with athleticism to develop consistent coverage ability. Possesses outstanding overall profile for an off-ball linebacker projection given high school versatility and proven playmaking ability. High-major prospect with long-term early-round NFL Draft ceiling."

Wallace is a huge get for Kentucky in a position of dire need, with the departure of Jamin Davis it’s likely Wallace would play from day one in Lexington. I think that’s what makes Kentucky so attractive to Wallace, not only does the Wildcats have a good track record lately with sending defensive studs to the NFL. Even more so he could play right away whereas if he ended up somewhere like Georgia he may not see substantial action until his Sophomore or Junior year.

Freddie Maggard set the bar very high with his evaluation of Wallace.

“I know Kentucky is the right place for me.”

The tale of the tape shows just how special of a player Wallace is.

Kentucky fans should be very excited about this recruit, and it’s even more proof of what Kentucky has been able to do under Stoops’s leadership. Georgia wanted this kid bad, and Kentucky was able to sneak in like the Navy Seals and extract him right out from under the Dawgs snout.

These are the kind of players who used to never even answer the phone when Kentucky called, and now Stoops and company are bringing these kids to Lexington on a regular basis.