Trevin Wallace scouting report: Exploring the Kentucky LB's strengths and weaknesses

A top 50 national recruit in 2021, Trevin Wallace immediately stepped into the starting lineup. He made the SEC’s All-Freshman team despite only starting one of 12 games, before posting 54 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions in 2022 as a fixture in the lineup.

This past season, he only picked off one pass but otherwise better his numbers, with 0 total stops, 8.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He once again only missed one contest in back-to-back years and was named a team captain in ’23.

Details: 6-foot-1, 235 pounds; JR.

Breaking down Trevin Wallace's scouting report

Cody Schrader #20 of the Missouri Tigers is tackled by Trevin Wallace #32 of the Kentucky Wildcats

Strengths

Run defense

• Trevin Wallace beat a school record that stood for 44 years in the long jump and won the state weightlifting title with a 335-pound power clean.
• At 242 pounds he still cracked 22 MPH on the GPS.
• That explosiveness in short areas allows him to create stops around the line of scrimmage, as linemen can’t peel off combos quickly enough for him.
• Has a great feel for stepping through creases and getting his hands on the ball carrier in traffic.
• Dependable with being ready for cutbacks on zone concepts away from him, reading those opportunities almost like the back peaking back for them. He can do so thanks to the burst once he does flatten down the line, to still involve himself near the point of attack.
• Meets running backs in the hole with plenty of thumb, rolling his hips into contact and stopping their momentum effectively.
• Trevin Wallace showcases highly impressive speed to chase down ball carriers bouncing out to the edge when based on run fits, he should be trapped inside.
• Packs plenty of force to stand up and drive ball carriers backward in the hole.

Coverage

• Easy mover in zone coverage, with the loose hips to flip with guys going across his face after having to open with the vertical push.
• Fully capable of carrying tight ends down the seam as a Tampa-2 dropper.
• Recognizes when to turn and fall underneath routes coming in behind him if the space in front of him is cleared out.
• Proactive with closing down space as he’s asked to match the back and/or to bump them slightly off track.
• Looks comfortable lining up over tight ends in the slot, putting hands on them and taking control of their route.
• Does well to ID and pick up crossers off play-action, with the wheels to not allow tight ends to detach from him.
• Brings a lot of hitting power as he arrives on an angle running to the ball as it’s being completed, to stop any additional YAC opportunities on the spot.
• Yet if he has to break down in space, his lateral agility and 32.5-inch arms expand his tackling radius.

Blitzing

• Trevin Wallace packs plenty of force in his hands to push running backs backward and open up a path to the quarterback.
• This guy’s closing burst on loops and delayed blitzes is a major weapon.
• Capped over the slot and blitzed off the edge from there, with the ability to turn a pretty tight corner.
• Showcases flashes of the short-area twitch to cross-face blockers and fight through one-half of them.
• Patient and light-footed player on spy duty, being able to track quarterbacks and not allow them to make him miss.
• Entering the combine at 237 pounds, Wallace ran a 4.51 in the 40 (tied for third among linebackers), a 37.5-inch vert & a 10’7” broad jump (both second among the group), giving him an RAS of 9.65.

Weaknesses

• While his speed bailed him out at the collegiate level, you do see Wallace take a false step or shuffle the wrong way quite regularly.
• Still developing the right feel for when to go under, over, or take on blocks when linemen climb up to him.
• Gets drawn up significantly by play-action and creates throwing windows as a result.
• Allows sit-down routes to occupy and quarterbacks to move him with their eyes as a hook-dropper, to open up throws into that voided space.
• At this point, his pass-rushing is all about speed and brute force without any nuance to it.

Trevin Wallace's 2024 NFL Draft projection

Trevin Wallace #32 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates with D'Eryk Jackson #54 after intercepting a pass against the Louisville Cardinals

In terms of a linebacker with more old-school size combined with high-end explosive features, Trevin Wallace might be your best bet in this class. Unfortunately, his instincts for the position are not up to par and too often you’ll see him move himself slightly out of position, relying on his physical tools to save him.

Finding the right balance between adjusting his zone drops without allowing himself to be manipulated, developing reliable hand combats as a blitzer and calibrating how he approaches run concepts will all be key in coming close to his potential.

Considering Wallace only turned 21 years about a month ago, yet was good enough to get onto the field immediately for the Wildcats and has shown growth so far, I’m optimistic about his ability to keep improving.

Similarly to Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper and North Carolina’s Cedric Gray, his future team should pair him up with a veteran and put him in more of a straight-forward role, where his affinity for contact can shine. He’s just not as flexible as those two guys to circle around blocks, although I think he still definitely belongs in the top 100.

Grade: Top 100.

You might like other LB scout reports: Edgerrin Cooper; Tommy Eichenberg.