NFL Draft Profile: Trevin Wallace

[Ed. Note: This article is from KSR was published on April 20. Day 2 of the NFL Draft begins on Friday night and Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace is projected to come off the board in round three.]

The 2024 NFL Draft is less than one week away. Professional football organizations are hosting final visits and making the final adjustments to their big board rankings. Personnel departments are focusing on the last weekend in April for the three-day mega-event in Detroit that will include 257 picks over seven rounds.

For the Kentucky football program, the Wildcats are scheduled to have a busy Day 2 and Day 3 this year. There are a handful of players that could end up being draft selections. KSR is here to get you ready after being there every step of the way — combine, pro day — during the pre-draft process.

Before KSR’s yearly draft guide publishes on draft week, we will be dropping profiles on all of the expected Kentucky draft picks in preparation for the event. Next up is a former high four-star recruit who is set to become the fourth Kentucky off-ball linebacker to become a draft pick under head coach Mark Stoops.

Player: Trevin Wallace

• Height: 6011
• Weight: 237
• Age: 21.1
• Arm: 32 5/8″
• Hand: 9 1/8″
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.51
• 10-Yard Split: 1.62
• Short Shuttle: N/A
• Vertical: 37 1/2″
• Broad Jump: 10’07”
• Bench: 20 reps

Per Relative Athletic Score, Trevin Wallace is one of the most athletic off-ball linebackers to enter the draft in the last three decades. The former blue-chip recruit out of South Georgia posted a blistering 40-yard dash time at the combine after checking in at 237 pounds. The vertical and broad jump scores were also outstanding. Wallace did not do any shuttle testing at the combine or pro day.

Wallace is a fast linebacker with excellent length and explosive athletic traits. Someone could spend a top-100 pick on his skill set alone before even getting too deep into the film.

Production

• 2021 (Freshman): 12 games, 1 start, 241 snaps, 47.2 PFF grade, 32 tackles (15.6% missed tackle rate), 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks (7 pressures), 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble
• 2022 (Sophomore): 12 games, 6 starts, 398 snaps, 69.7 PFF grade, 54 tackles (5.8% missed tackle rate), 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks (7 pressures), 2 interceptions
• 2023 (Junior): 12 games, 12 starts, 668 snaps, 61.1 PFF grade, 80 tackles (11.5% missed tackle rate), 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks (20 pressures), 1 interception, 1 forced fumble
• Career: 36 games, 19 starts, 1,307 snaps, 166 tackles (10.5% missed tackle rate), 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks (34 pressures), 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass breakup

Background

Trevin Wallace was a massive blue-chip recruiting win for Kentucky in the 2021 cycle. Former linebackers coach Jon Sumrall targeted Wallace during the 2020 season after the Jesup (Ga.) Wayne County product blew up late in the recruiting process. The former Boston College commit opened his recruitment in November and did not make a decision until February.

A head coaching change at Auburn following the COVID-19 season helped open the door for Kentucky. The Wildcats scored a big head-to-head recruiting win over the Tigers when Wallace signed with the Wildcats.

Wallace enrolled at Kentucky in the summer before the 2021 season and quickly carved out a role on defense. However, his most memorable moment as a true freshman came on special teams when Wallace turned a Josh Paschal blocked field goal into a touchdown. That non-offensive touchdown gave Kentucky a lead it would not relinquish in a win that ended a long home losing streak versus Florida.

After serving as a top backup behind Jacquez Jones and DeAndre Square during his first two seasons on campus, injuries knocked the top two linebackers out of the lineup in 2022. Wallace stepped in and played good football for the Cats with at least 40-plus snaps played in the final five games of the season. The sophomore capped off the season with a huge interception against Louisville.

Wallace returned for his true junior season in 2023 as a full-time starter in Kentucky’s 3-4 defense. The third-year player was named a team captain and finished 13th in the SEC in tackles per game (6.7). Once again, Wallace’s top moment of the season came against Louisville when the linebacker forced a turnover on downs with a tackle of Isaac Guerendo on fourth-and-short in the fourth quarter.

Shortly after the season, Wallace declared for the 2024 NFL Draft in December but still suited up for the Wildcats one more time in the Gator Bowl before beginning his pro football journey.

Scouting Report

Trevin Wallace had to wait until year three to become a starter for defensive coordinator Brad White, but the high-profile recruiting win for the Wildcats played a role all three seasons on campus. Wallace was an impact special teams player early, and his football skills started to catch up with his tantalizing physical traits.

After three years, Wallace is headed to the National Football League as a run-and-hit linebacker who can get sideline-to-sideline with the best of them. In many ways, the Kentucky prospect is a modern linebacker in football who is big enough to hold his own in the box against the run and athletic enough to blanket tailbacks in coverage, make tackles in space, and provide value as a pass rusher in simulated pressure and creeper packages.

Wallace has shown improvements all three years at Kentucky, and that trend likely continues in the NFL. The traits have created a high ceiling that has not been reached yet. The linebacker needs some polish with instincts and play recognition, but there is legitimate Pro Bowl potential.

Expect an NFL franchise to bet on those traits on Day 2. Wallace should be a top-five linebacker in this class based on his potential and track record of improvement to this point in his development process.

Draft Window

• Dane Brugler (The Athletic): No. 86 overall (3rd round)
• Big Board (PFF): No. 168 overall
• Lance Zierlein (NFL Media): 3rd-4th round

Trevin Wallace went three-and-done at Kentucky. That was not a surprise. The high four-star recruit was a top-110 recruit in the class of 2021 and should come off the board between picks 80-120 at some point in the third or fourth round at the 2024 NFL Draft.

Wallace backed up his athletic profile in high school with outstanding athletic testing scores to go with productive film in the SEC. That should lead to a good opportunity for playing time as a rookie on his next team next season. NFL organizations now attempt to find starters at linebacker in the third or fourth rounds. A team will draft Wallace to become a starter sooner rather than later on Friday or Saturday.