Wallace headed to Pac-10
Cleveland Wallace visited Oregon State all day Monday and spent a good amount of time with defensive backs Keith Heyward. One day later, the San Jose (Calif.) Oak Grove prospect returned home and decided playing for the Beavers was right for him.
Wallace, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound prospect recruited to play cornerback, committed and becomes Oregon State's first pledge in its 2012 class.
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"They actually contacted my coach a few months ago so they've been recruiting me for a while," Wallace said.
"I went down there and everything was nice. It was a nice town. When I spoke to the coaches and when I was around the players it was a family atmosphere and I really liked that. They had a plan for me outside of football as far as school. That was good, too. That was the right place, the right fit."
Wallace was used all over the place in his junior season catching 29 passes for 512 yards and nine touchdowns and rushing for 532 yards and six scores. He was also used as a defensive back, his future spot with the Beavers.
Boise State, San Jose State, Washington, UCLA and Oregon were also showing interest in Wallace, who said what really stood out about his time in Corvallis was the family atmosphere. That was one big reason why he decided to make his commitment.
"What really stood out was they made it feel like it was a family," Wallace said. "You weren't just another player coming in.
"It was like you were another person coming into their family. They had great coaches and their DBs coach, coach Heyward, was great. I sat in on the meetings with him and he made sure the players knew what they were doing and if they didn't they could ask questions. It was just a great visit there."