Tristen Wallace to Oregon: Ducks Land 4-Star QB Prospect
The Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the Oregon Ducks during last season’s national championship game, but the Ducks scored a head-to-head victory on the recruiting trail Sunday against head coach Urban Meyer’s squad.
Dual-threat quarterback Tristen Wallace announced his decision to verbally pledge to Oregon on his Instagram page Sunday:
The 6’3”, 228-pound Wallace is a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the No. 188-ranked prospect in the 2016 class. He is also the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback and No. 28 player from Texas.
Wallace had previously committed to Texas Tech early in the recruitment process before opening things up again.
Wallace then committed to Ohio State in April, but he must have seen something he liked during a weekend visit to Oregon. The Ducks also have 3-star dual-threat quarterback Terry Wilson in their 2016 class, per 247Sports. However, graduate transfer Vernon Adams, who attended Eastern Washington for four years before joining Oregon, does not have any eligibility remaining after this season.
As for the Buckeyes, star quarterback J.T. Barrett has two years of eligibility remaining and would stand in the way of Wallace or any other young quarterback in the immediate future. The 2014 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year was integral to Ohio State’s title last year and Fiesta Bowl berth this season, even though he split time with Cardale Jones.
The Buckeyes also have a commitment from 2017 quarterback prospect Danny Clark, a 4-star player, and signal-callers Joe Burrow and Stephen Collier are waiting in the wings.
While Wallace draws headlines as a quarterback because of his ability to make plays with his legs and arm, Brian Perroni of 247Sports said he could play either slot wide receiver or safety at the next level.
That is a testament to Wallace’s athletic prowess and his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, which his high school coach Todd Peterman discussed, per Bill Landis of the Northeast Ohio Media Group: "He's electric. He can beat you with his feet or beat you throwing. He makes great decisions, and he's an extremely mature 16-year-old."
Someone with that skill set will find a spot in Oregon’s uptempo offensive attack, even if it isn’t at quarterback.
