One of Kentucky football’s top defensive players declares early for the NFL draft
Kentucky football will have to replace one of its top defensive playmakers ahead of schedule.
Junior inside linebacker Trevin Wallace announced Friday that he will enter the 2024 NFL draft. UK coach Mark Stoops had been up front about Wallace having a draft decision to make since the end of the regular season, but there had been hope he would return for his senior season in hopes of improving his draft stock.
Wallace looked like a potential All-SEC candidate early in the season with 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks through three games, but his production dipped in league play. He suffered an injury in the loss to Georgia that forced him to miss the next game against Missouri. Wallace returned to the field with 11 tackles in the loss to Tennessee.
Before the season, Wallace was named to The Athletic’s annual college football freaks list in recognition of his unique athleticism.
Despite being listed at 241 pounds, Wallace has been clocked at 22 mph on UK’s GPS system. UK reports he has reached 38.5 inches in the vertical jump, which would have tied the best number of any linebacker at the NFL combine last season. Wallace has lifted 380 pounds in the power clean and almost 600 pounds in the squat, according to UK.
“It’s crazy to see,” safety Zion Childress said of Wallace early in the season. “I’ve been around a lot of athletic people, different people in my life, but I can say I’ve never seen anybody that size and that weight move the way (Wallace) moves. Speed, jumping, pure explosion, it’s crazy to watch.
“They put him on the list of freaks. Man, if he ain’t the freakiest one, I don’t know who is.”
Wallace finished the 2023 season second on the team in tackles with 69 and also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
The Jesup, Georgia native did not specify whether he would play in the Gator Bowl against Clemson in the note he posted to his social media accounts announcing his draft decision, but he was at the UK practice facility Friday as the Wildcats began bowl practices. Running back Ray Davis and cornerback Andru Phillips are both expected to play in the game despite already declaring for the draft.
With Wallace leaving, Kentucky could use linebacker reinforcements from the transfer portal.
Inside linebackers D’Eryk Jackson and Daveren Rayner have eligibility remaining, but little-used backups Martez Thrower and Luke Fulton have already entered the transfer portal in search of more playing time. Freshman inside linebacker Jayvant Brown will be needed to assume a larger role after playing primarily on special teams during the regular season.
Wallace’s younger brother, Tavion Wallace, is one of UK’s top recruiting targets in the high school class of 2025.
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