For defensive linemen in junior college, Tennessee is in the top five…….

The Vols will host a junior-college defensive lineman who has Tennessee on his short list of potential destinations

next week. Tennessee is currently the only SEC school on Jamal Wallace’s list of top five college choices, which he

revealed in a post on his X account. Wallace is a defensive lineman in the class of 2024 at Sierra College in Rocklin,

California.

The front-runners for the 6-foot-4, 269-pound Wallace, who is scheduled to make an official visit to Tennessee the

weekend of December 15, include Houston, Memphis, Utah State, and USF in addition to the Vols. He stated to

GoVols247 in October that the Vols were the team of choice, in part because, even before the Vols began recruiting

him, “Tennessee was actually my dream school.”

Before going to Tennessee the weekend before Early Signing Day, Wallace is scheduled to visit USF this weekend as

part of an official visit with the Bulls. He has already visited Utah State, Houston, and North Texas on official

business.

Before deciding to attend junior college, Wallace attended Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He claimed

that Eric Berry, a former standout safety for the Vols, attracted him to Tennessee. It seemed only logical that

Wallace, a former high school safety, would be drawn to Berry, an NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs. After seeing

former Tennessee cornerback Inky Johnson talk about Berry, Wallace developed an even greater admiration for him.

Wallace remarked, “I heard a story about (Berry) and I became a fan of him.” After Johnson related a tale about

Tennessee and Eric Berry, everything else just fell into place. However, until Eric Berry joined the Chiefs, I was

unaware of him and his entire history. Then I discovered.”

Wallace expressed his appreciation for the Vols’ close call to the College Football Playoffs last season—just “one game

away.”

“I feel like it would be exciting for me to be able to go to the playoffs with them if I choose Tennessee,” he remarked,

“because there are now 12 teams that can go to the playoffs next year.”

Wallace added that after receiving an offer from the Vols on September 23, he has been in contact with “the whole

coaching staff” at Tennessee. Prior to the Vols’ October open date, Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks

visited Wallace’s school in California. On September 23, Tennessee recruiting analyst Aaron Amaama notified

Wallace of the Vols’ offer.

Wallace has since maintained contact with Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner, senior defensive analyst

Levorn Harbin, and even head coach Josh Heupel. Garner went to Sierra on Friday to watch the regular-season

finale between Wallace and his team and College of the Sequoias of Visalia, California.

The Vols have expressed interest in Wallace, who plays outside linebacker for Sierra mostly, saying they like “that

I’m very twitchy, and they want somebody playing (opposite) James Pearce.” Having racked up seven sacks in

Tennessee’s first seven games of the season, sophomore defensive end Pearce is tied for ninth place nationally.

Wallace stated, “They feel like I can be that person. They want somebody to play on the other side along with him, so

that’s really been the pitch for them.”

The Vols see him as a “five- and a three-tech,” playing him at defensive end and defensive tackle, Wallace continued.

Despite being more of an edge rusher in junior college, he declared that he doesn’t give a damn where he plays.

He saw action in ten games this season and finished with 39 tackles, including three pass breakups, two forced

fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 3.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

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