When it comes to finding the next wave of superstars for the National Football League, professional scouts tend to know where Bryant-Denny Stadium is on Saturdays in the fall.
Representatives from the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and New York Giants took in the essence of Alabama’s matchup versus Tennessee, and while all three teams at least have one former Crimson Tide player, senior Levi Wallace took this moment to elevate his game.
The time he spent defending players like Amari Cooper, Christion Jones, DeAndrew White and Calvin Ridley prepared him to technically sound in coverage, but last week showed fans a different side to Wallace – a side that’s not afraid of dropping quarterbacks to the ground.
Despite the entire team feeding off crowd noise, the energy brought more to Wallace as the Arizona native led the squad in both sacks (two) and tackles for loss (3.5).
Both of his sacks resulted in a loss of 18 yards, including a takedown of Volunteers’ quarterback Jarrett Guarantano on third down in the second quarter. Wallace finished second behind defensive end Isaiah Buggs in tackles (six) and added a quarterback hurry to his total.
As much pain as he inflicted upon Guarantano in the Tide’s 45-7 win, the former walk-on continues to deny explosive receivers opportunities to make plays. Marquez Callaway was held to just 14 yards receiving on three catches, while Tennessee mustered only 44 yards passing.
Nowadays, NFL personnel looks at multiple things for cornerbacks. Secondary to their ball skills, owners, general managers and coaches want defensive backs that can play the run and affect the quarterback. Wallace’s performance helped Alabama’s defense hold the Volunteers to seven first downs, 108 total yards and one conversion on third down through 12 attempts.
Minkah Fitzpatrick grabs much attention at safety, but Wallace’s draft stock is rising.
He remains the team’s leader in pass breakups (nine) and shares the lead in interceptions with three. Should he continue to be consistent, a first to second round draft value is very possible.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
