Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace returns home to face TCU as one of Big 12’s top threats
TCU coach Gary Patterson mentioned that his defensive game plan may call for both a coach and a player to cover Oklahoma State standout wide receiver Tylan Wallace on Saturday.
Patterson said it in jest. We think.
But that’s how much of a threat Wallace is for the Cowboys. The Fort Worth South Hills product has returned to his normal self following an injury-shortened 2019 as one of the top receivers in the Big 12.
“He’s one of those guys that is a really good football player,” Patterson said. “It’s really good to see someone from here go on and be successful. At the end of the day, you want these kids to get out and have an opportunity to be whatever they want to be in life.”
Patterson then mentioned the difficulty of recruiting and possibly seeing local kids such as Wallace shine elsewhere. There is more football talent in the area than scholarships available, which is why TCU never offered Wallace or his twin brother Tracin coming out of high school.
Oklahoma State was in the mix early on, though, and Wallace has paid off. He is leading the Big 12 in receiving yards this season with 785 yards on 46 receptions with five touchdowns.
Before a torn ACL ended his junior season last year, he was leading the Big 12 with 903 yards receiving through eight games. As a sophomore in 2018, he finished with 86 catches, a Big 12-leading 1,491 yards and 12 TDs.
Wallace is excited to return once more to Fort Worth. He had a standout career at South HIlls, finishing with 182 catches, 3,760 yards and 48 TDs, and is ready to play in his hometown for a final time as a college player.
“The fact that I get to come back and play in Fort Worth where I’m from is an opportunity that I’m really excited for,” Wallace said in a telephone interview with the Star-Telegram this week.
Asked how he’s grown throughout his college career, Wallace said: “It’s hard to really go through and explain. Obviously you mature as a person over the years, but coming here to Oklahoma State really helped me become a better man and better player overall. From the people here, the coaches around here, the program ... it’s created to make you a better person once you leave here.”
For Wallace, his football journey is expected to continue in the NFL next season. He’s accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl and has a chance to continue rising up draft boards throughout the pre-draft process.
This is a guy who clearly loves the game. He’s never considered opting out amid the coronavirus pandemic as other NFL Draft prospects have done. He also bounced back from the ACL injury and re-established himself as an elite receiver.
“Some guys have their reasons to opt out, but for me I really enjoy playing the game of football,” Wallace said. “After dealing with my injury, it really made me realize how much I missed it and how often people can take it for granted. I’m just happy to be playing football. Opting out wasn’t really an option for me.”
That mindset should sit well with NFL evaluators and has earned the respect of everyone throughout the Oklahoma State program.
Cowboys coach Mike Gundy praised Wallace on the Big 12 coaches teleconference this week, calling him “one of the most special players in our history here.”
“He has been fabulous on the field, but then he had an injury and came back during a difficult year with the virus and a lot of players opting out and just different reasons for kids to not come back and compete,” Gundy said. “And he’s done just the opposite of that. He likes to play. There’s been times late in games we’ve asked him if he wants to sit out the last series or two and he says, ‘No, I want to compete. I want in the game. This is what I do.’
“He’s done his team a huge favor and he’s done himself a huge favor with the NFL Draft.”
Hoops watch
The Big 12 remains one of the top basketball conferences in the country. On the men’s side, the league has half of its teams ranked in the AP Top 25 with TCU receiving a vote, too.
No. 7 Kansas knocked off No. 20 Kentucky, 65-62, on Tuesday night. No. 2 Baylor had no trouble against No. 5 Illinois in an 82-69 victory on Wednesday. And No. 17 Texas won the Maui Invitational with a thrilling 69-67 win over No. 14 North Carolina on Wednesday.
It’s good to see Shaka Smart, who created a stir by growing his hair out this offseason, making headlines for the right reasons in Austin.
On the women’s side, Baylor has the No. 4 team in the country. The Lady Bears are off to a 2-0 start and travel to No. 16 Arkansas on Sunday.
Elsewhere around the Big 12
▪ Oklahoma State standout freshman Cade Cunningham, projected as the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft, hasn’t disappointed early on in his career. He’s leading the Big 12 in scoring with 18.7 points a game through three games.
▪ West Virginia forward Derek Culver looks like he’ll be a double-double machine this season. Through four games, he’s averaging 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds.
▪ Texas Tech men’s basketball lost a player this week with sophomore forward Joel Ntambwe leaving for “personal reasons.” The UNLV transfer (who redshirted last season) averaged 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in Tech’s first three games this season.
▪ The TCU women’s basketball team will not be playing in the Big 12/ SEC Challenge this season. The Frogs’ game at Missouri on Sunday has been canceled. TCU opened Big 12 play with a 91-68 loss against Iowa State on Wednesday.
