Family Bond for 4-Star QB Tristen Wallace Makes Ohio State 'Home Away from Home'

Having a big-brother-type role model to get advice from during the recruiting process is never a bad thing for a college football target.

For DeSoto, Texas, quarterback Tristen Wallace, that role model is and always has been Dontre Wilson, a former high school teammate now shining as a running back for Ohio State.

So when the 4-star, dual-threat target called Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer to give his verbal commitment Wednesday morning, it wasn't a big surprise that Wallace wanted to be reunited with the player he considers to be his big brother.

Wallace became Ohio State's ninth overall commitment and the program's first quarterback pledge. He chose Ohio State over offers from Texas, Baylor, TCU, Nebraska, UCLA and others. Wallace was once committed to Texas Tech, but he decommitted in March to explore other options.

"

I'm glad to Officially announce that I have Committed to The Ohio State University ! #BuckeyeNation ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/YGUnK8CSCx

— TWall (@Official_Wall5) April 15, 2015"

In short, Wallace called Ohio State "a home away from home." Having a relationship with Wilson helped. Wallace said it was Wilson's overall advice that helped make his decision final.

"He just told me do what's best for you," Wallace said. "That's like my brother. He wants to see me be successful and happy. I enjoyed this whole process."

Ranked as the nation's No. 3 dual-threat quarterback, Wallace visited Ohio State last month and called the visit "a 10." During the visit, his first to Columbus, Ohio, Wallace toured the campus and took in Ohio State's scrimmage. He also had quality time with Meyer and the coaching staff.

And when there was opportunity for downtime, Wallace was hanging out with Wilson, someone he's known since he was a younger football player. The two grew up playing for the same youth football organization, the DeSoto Texans.

"He's like my big brother; I've known him roughly all my life," Wallace told Bleacher Report in March, referring to Wilson. "He graduated high school with my sister, and they were real close. He basically told me just to make the best decision for me. There was no pressuring me to come to Ohio State."

Now that Wallace is committed, he hopes to become the next big thing at quarterback on campus. Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones have made names for themselves under Meyer. Wallace has the size at 6'3" and 228 pounds, and his 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash makes him a respectable dual-threat option.

Wallace has been a varsity quarterback since his freshman year, and expectations were high from the first time he stepped on the football field. As a junior, he missed most of the 2014 season with a broken ankle.

In his short amount of time on the field, Wallace threw for 641 yards, rushed for 535 yards and compiled 14 total touchdowns. He also completed 67 percent of passes (41-of-61) and only threw one interception.

Accepting his commitment means Ohio State isn't concerned about injury or anything Wallace needs to do to prepare for the next level. It helped having an influential player like Wilson go to bat for him.

"[Wilson] was big," Wallace said. "They both [Wilson and Meyer] were big."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles