Kentucky gets verbal from LB/FB

One of the Bluegrass State’s rising prospects made a verbal commitment to Kentucky on Wednesday.

Fort Campbell linebacker/fullback Gabe Wallace picked the Wildcats over recent scholarship offers from Illinois, Louisville, Cincinnati and Indiana. He was also getting interest from a number of other schools such as Clemson, Michigan State, Memphis and Arkansas.

“When I was down there for camp this past weekend and my unofficial visit this spring to watch practice, it just felt like the right place for me,” Wallace said. “I like the coaching staff and the people there. Joker Phillips recruited me. He’s a real enjoyable person. I like his personality. They have great facilities for football and academics. It’s also a nice fit because it’s close to home and my family can come and see me play.

“I’m real happy and excited to have my decision made. Now I can concentrate on my senior year.”

Wallace (6-1, 225, 4.65) had 94 tackles as a junior in earning honorable mention all-state and All-Western Kentucky Conference honors. He also had more than 500 yards rushing at fullback, a position he could also play at the college level.

“Kentucky has me at inside linebacker right now,” he said. “That’s my favorite spot. I like stopping the run, being aggressive and physical. I’m working hard on my coverage. I feel like I’ve improved a lot going to camps and the (UK) 7-on-7 tournament.”

Fort Campbell won both the 7-on-7 passing tournament and the lineman challenge at Kentucky’s recent camp. Falcons coach Shawn Berner said Wallace was a big part of that success, thanks to the strides he’s made during the offseason.

“Gabe’s gotten so much bigger, stronger and more explosive,” Berner said. “He’s benching more than 300 pounds, squats more than 500, and he’s done a lot of plyometrics to help his explosiveness. Last year, he was jumping and just touching the rim in basketball. This year, he’s dunking the ball with two hands at 6-foot-1. It’s really impressive to see how he’s developed.

“He just had a great camp up at Kentucky. He showed that he’s very mobile and aggressive. He can cover lots of ground on defense and catch the ball. He’s got a lot skills.”

Academically, Wallace maintains a 2.7 GPA and has scored a 21 on his ACT. He projects as a full-qualifier.