Penn State receiver Trey Wallace is healthy, playing fast, and has sights set on a big 2024
Penn State redshirt sophomore receiver Harrison “Trey” Wallace III has long been a player Nittany Lion fans and those within the program have pinned their hopes on when it comes to who the program’s next pass catching star will be. The Montgomery, Ala., native has put dunks on film from his high school days that showcase the extreme leaping ability fans would later see in his second Blue-White game. Speed has been and will always be a big part of his game, too. And, few have as much athleticism as the Montgomery, Ala., Patrick Browning High product does. However, the 6-foot-1, 194-pound receiver’s first three seasons in State College have been defined by the one ability he has struggled with: Availability, especially recently.
After a planned redshirt season in 2021 that saw him suit up for two contests, Wallace III was the talk of the spring and summer in 2022. He did play in all 13 games that year but was held to just 19 receptions for 273 yards and a touchdown. Then, injuries hampered him greatly in 2023. After setting career single-game highs with seven catches for 72 yards in last year’s opener against West Virginia, he was involved in the home opener opposite Delaware but would go on to miss two of the next three games due to an undisclosed injury. The bye week seemed to have him healthy and ready to go for the stretch run. But, a broken collarbone suffered nine snaps into the Lions’ Oct. 28 matchup with Indiana derailed things again.
“At first, there was not much I could do, because, with a broken collarbone, there’s not much you can do,” Wallace III said at the team’s media day earlier this month. “I was really just pushing myself to get back as soon as I could so I could get back on the field with the guys.”
Working his way back
Wallace III did work his way back into the receiver rotation in time for the Peach Bowl. While it did look like he was injured again during that matchup with Ole Miss, he still finished with four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown against the Rebels to help springboard him into the new year. The receiver says he’s now as healthy as he’s ever been. An enormous smile flashed both during media day interviews and then later during one of the team’s open practices in early August said it all. Like so many other Nittany Lions, Wallace III is ready to break out and put the conference and nation on notice about the fact that, while things have not completely gone his way so far in blue and white, that’s about to change in a big way.
“I feel great,” Wallace III said. “I feel the fastest I’ve ever been. I’m the most I’ve ever weighed. And, and I’m healthy and playing fast at this weight. So, I’m just pretty confident.”
That’s big news for the receiver, Penn State, and its fans. The Nittany Lions enter 2024 with question marks at the position. Wallace III could be their leading man. He wants to be. And so do the Lions. Of course, that was expected to be the case last season before injuries kept it from being a reality.
Assessing the rest of the Penn State receivers room
Head coach James Franklin and receivers coach Marques Hagans brought Pa., native and former Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming, a senior, into the room via the transfer portal this offseason.
Redshirt junior Liam Clifford has a leadership role and is in line for first-team reps, as well. And, junior Omari Evans is set to factor into the starting mix, too. Beyond those three and Wallace III though, it’s practically anyone’s guess who will step up and fill the snap count sheet in the opener at West Virginia. Four redshirt sophomores – Kaden Saunders, Tyler Johnson, Mehki Flowers, and Anthony Ivey – all have yet to climb the depth chart. Saunders, though, has had more of a role than his classmates so far. He is in line for the most receiver snaps of his career this fall if he overcomes camp bumps and bruises. He’s also in line to handle the team’s punt return work.
Class of 2024 signees Tyseer Denmark and Josiah Brown also hope to make an impact. But, guaranteeing that any of the group will do so is unwise. It all puts even more pressure on Wallace III to be the go-to receiver in first-year coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. But, he says he isn’t feeling any anxiousness about the expectations surrounding him during preseason camp.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted,” Wallace III said. “So, I hold myself to a high standard. So I felt like we’re going to get it done.”
Hagans, for his part, does not like to talk in specifics about any one member of his room. He prefers to discuss the overall expectations for his group rather than singling anyone else. However, he does like what he’s seen so far from Wallace III.
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“Just like the rest of the guys, he shows up ready to work every day,” Hagans said. “I think we have a good group of guys that are in that same boat. They prepare the night before. They show up. And, they take care of their bodies and they’re investing their personal time. And I think it’s becoming a way of life. It’s becoming our culture. So it’s cool to see him, but it’s also other guys are doing that as well too, which makes you proud to be their coach.”
Penn State redshirt cornerback Jalen Kimber, who is competing opposite Wallace III and the receivers for the first time during a preseason camp after transferring in from Florida before spring practice, was willing to talk specifics and says the added buy-in from Wallace III, and all of the receivers, is noticeable.
“Trey Wallace is a great receiver. He has a lot of experience. He’s pretty savvy in his routes. So he knows how to get open. And using his tools helps us as well. He might do something that I’ve probably never seen before. So I might go up to him and ask him, ‘Hey, why did you do this, XYZ’? And, that might help me overall and my teammates.”
Can Wallace III be the Lions’ go-to man in 2024?
Plenty of words have been said about Wallace over the last two seasons. Franklin has repeatedly said that Penn State needs him to be not only its No. 1 receiver but also one of the best players at that position in the Big Ten and country. At times, he has shown he has all the tools to do so. But, health is the biggest reason doubt remains. Wallace III knows it. It’s why he enters the fall with a chip on his shoulder. He believes the injuries of the past are more about bad luck than anything else and that this will be his year to shine.
“Just the injuries that I’ve had, and just the feeling of not being out there with my guys, it kind of took me for a toll,” Wallace III said. “But, coming into the season healthy and ready to get out there. This group is just pushing for me to be my best, the coaches, defense, everybody. And for us to go where we want to go, all the receivers got to be ready to contribute and put their strengths on the field.”
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