Kentucky prevails for four-star LB Trevin Wallace
If he would have signed in December, it would have been Auburn.
But he didn't. And that gave other schools time to recruit him, and Kentucky prevailed for Jesup (Ga.) Wayne County four-star linebacker Trevin Wallace.
The new staff at Auburn made a run at him, and Ole Miss was in the mix too, but the consistency by the staff in Lexington and opportunity the Wildcats present pushed them to the top.
"I had to evaluate a lot to help me make this decision, but it really came down to the connection me and my family had with the Kentucky staff," said Wallace. "It is not just me, but my mother and my father have strong relationships with the staff, and we all trust the coaches there.
"My mom loves the education Kentucky offers, my dad loves that and the football, and then for me, it was about that connection trust, so everything just felt right with them."
Inside linebackers coach Jon Sumrall was the lead recruiter, and he was heavily involved with the entire family, but head coach Mark Stoops and outside linebackers coach Brad White also played a role.
It was Sumrall though that closed this deal.
"Coach Sumrall was the one. He reached out to my mom and dad every morning, he answered all their questions, and he made all of us feel comfortable.
"He promised my parents he would look after me, he told them he would treat me like I am his son, he built that trust, and we all love him.
"Coach Sumrall is a great man, and I feel he can mold me into a man with great character. I will get to work with him on and off the field, and I know he will push me hard every day."
Stoops impressed too. The head coach sees the talent in this four-star.
"Coach Stoops was always honest and upfront with me, and I liked that. He would tell me that I could be great anywhere I go, and he didn't just push Kentucky, and that stood out to me.
"We had some great talks, he is a good coach, and I like what he is doing at Kentucky. I am excited about playing for him, coach Sumrall and getting up there to play in the SEC."
Now that the pen has hit the paper, and this journey is over for Wallace, he can relax, get some rest mentally, and get his mind right to play in Lexington.
He is so excited to have this decision behind him.
"The process was really tough," said Wallace. "Some days I was so ready to get it over with, then some days, I knew I had to think about it some more. It took some time.
"I had never been through something like this before. I couldn't take visits, coaches calling every day, and this was all new to me, so it was a lot to go through.
"I went through coaching changes, I build some strong relationships, and I know Kentucky is the right place for me. It took me a while to get here, and it was a lot, but I am excited about being a Wildcat."