Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
2 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M season-opening loss at Indiana. He sur- rendered the first-team job the next two weeks against Ohio State and Maryland, but he later regained it for good, helping Penn State rebound with victories in its final four games. Wallace had shown improvement as he acclimated, but his trajectory was not a steady rise. He started all 13 games at right tackle in 2021 but struggled at times, both as a run blocker and pass protector. By the start of the 2022 season, he was the most experienced of Penn State's re- turning offensive linemen, but questions lingered. Could he help the unit take the strides it so desperately sought? Would his performances limit the risks to quar- terback Sean Clifford with little experi- ence available as a backup? The answers were largely affirmative. He was particularly impressive early in Penn State's win over Minnesota, playing a part in a Nittany Lion offensive effort that produced 479 yards. But then came the injury later in the game, and he was forced to miss the team's last five regular-season contests. The health setback put to rest any thought that he might forgo a fifth col- lege season in favor of testing the NFL waters. Wallace hadn't given much thought earlier in the year to his long- term plans, preferring instead to focus on the week-to-week grind of the season, but the injury clarified everything. "I just kind of imagined that I would end my college career on a different note," he said. "When I knew I wasn't going to be playing for a certain amount of games, I was like, 'Yeah, I'm coming back.' That wasn't how I wanted to end my Penn State career." A Key Component So now comes the 2023 season, and with it an opportunity to transform that narrative completely. There are two spe- cific areas in which Wallace is striving to improve. First, he has taken on an expanded presence in the Nittany Lions' offensive line room, recognizing that he has to be a leader for the team. Second, he has been focused on the kind of incremental development that Trautwein has pushed so strenuously. Wallace hopes that sort of detail-ori- ented work will enhance his perfor- mances, and those of the entire unit. "Offensive line play, it's weird," he said. "But obviously, I love it. When you think you figure something out, you re- alize three months later there's a better way to do it. So that's kind of what I've been doing. "I've been getting better at things, I'm seeing what works more, what's work- ing over the years, what worked in the spring, and becoming more consistent at those things. "I have the games under my belt. Go- ing into this last year, I'm working on consistency and tying everything I've learned these past four years together." With the 2023 regular season nearly at hand, Wallace and his Nittany Lion team- mates are poised to put their progress to the test. The offensive line is a massive part of the team's plans for offensive success this season, and its players have spent the summer continuing to jell. Wallace ex- plained that three elements in particular are working in the Lions' favor. "Time, love and competition," he said. The bonds between the team's veteran linemen have grown stronger over the years, and Wallace sees the players' ca- maraderie having an impact this fall. "A lot of the guys that are leaders on the Wallace, who stands 6-foot-5, 341 pounds, has been focused on physical and mental readiness ever since an injury forced him to miss five late-season games last fall. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS "Offensive line play, it's weird. But obviously, I love it. When you think you figure something out, you realize three months later there's a better way to do it. So that's kind of what I've been doing. I've been getting better at things." W A L L A C E