Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1492675
M A R C H 2 0 2 3 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / T wo of the top five rushers in the NFL during the 2022 sea- son were Penn Staters. Two of the top 13 rushers in the Big Ten last season were first-year players at PSU, and one of them — Nicho- las Singleton — was named the league's Freshman of the Year. Cam Wallace wants to be a part of that lineage. A three-star prospect in the On3 Consensus, Wallace was one of the final additions to Penn State's 2023 class, committing in mid-December after a whirlwind recruitment that only began pick- ing up speed at the beginning of his senior season at Montgomery County (Ga.) High. That was long enough for him to learn about how PSU had served as a launching pad for NFL alums like Sa- quon Barkley and Miles Sanders, and how Singleton and classmate Kaytron Allen were following in those footsteps. "A lot of guys have had success there," Wallace said. "They've got guys there now who are doing great. I had to be part of that history at Penn State. I want to go there and break records, just like the guys before me." Wallace flashed impressive speed as a to-it-all prospect in his native Georgia. He played quarterback, running back and wide receiver on offense, totaling 2,100 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns his last two seasons. He also was a defensive standout with 243 tackles and 5 interceptions as a member of the Montgomery County secondary. Wallace's 10.56-second 100-meter speed was ultimately what convinced the Penn State staff to make a late push for his signature. He hadn't started garnering attention from Power Five schools until this past September when Washington State extended an offer. Others soon followed, including Penn State, and Wallace's visit itinerary be- gan filling up. He took unofficial trips to Florida State and Georgia in November, along with official visits to Penn State and Georgia Tech. Michigan State and Indi- ana were also hoping to get him on cam- pus, but after traveling to State College, he was sold on the Nittany Lions. "I felt like it was an easy choice for me," Wallace said. "I really liked the coaches at Tech, but Tech has had a lot of coaches coming in and out of there. I wanted to go somewhere where the coaches already know each other well and they're established. Penn State has that, and so that made it an easy choice." ■ Wallace rushed for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Montgomery County (Ga.) High. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Cam Wallace Lions quickly got up to speed with talented Georgia running back M AT T H E R B | M A T T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M RB | 5-9 | 175 Montgomery County High Mount Vernon, Ga. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHH 997 73 101 On3 HHH — 45 68 ESPN HHH — 56 68 Rivals HHH — — — 247Sports HHH — 62 75 Statistics • Totaled 1,300 rushing yards and 15 touch- downs during his senior season • Had 800 rushing yards and 7 scores as a junior • Amassed 243 tackles, 7 forced fumbles, 8 pass deflections and 5 interceptions in three seasons on defense Notable • Was a two-time team captain for Montgom- ery County High • Earned first-team all-state honors as a run- ning back following his senior season • Invited to the Football Hotbed Senior Bowl in Atlanta • Competed in track and was part of a 4x200- meter relay team that won the Georgia 1A Pub- lic state title. Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Dec. 19, 2022 • Picked the Lions over offers from Georgia Tech, Michigan State, West Virginia and Jack- sonville State • Recruited by running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider • Officially visited Penn State on Nov. 11, 2022 2023 Projection Penn State has two outstanding returnees in rising sophomores Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, but there's no depth behind them. Unless PSU adds a transfer in May, Wal- lace and classmate London Montgomery will be the team's only other scholarship running backs in 2023. Montgomery is coming off a knee injury that cost him his senior season at Scranton (Pa.) Prep, which means that Wal- lace has to be considered a candidate for early playing time. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Penn State likely will need help at running back this coming season, and Wallace can provide that in several ways. First, he has the skills to play the role that Devyn Ford filled in 2020 and '21 before giving up football. Wallace has the tenacity, speed and selflessness to excel and can provide jet sweep and space action for Penn State." T H E W A L L A C E F I L E