K’Von Wallace 2020 NFL Draft Profile
As a senior at Highland Springs High School in Virginia, K’Von Wallace was an outstanding player on both offense and defense. In 2015, Wallace was a star wide-receiver and safety on a team that won the school’s first state championship since 1961. He had five receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns on offense and an interception in the endzone on defense in the game. He also competed in the New Balance Track National High School Championships in New York City in March 2015. Wallace was teammates with fellow draft prospect Mekhi Bechton. Wallace, as the #1 player in Virginia by Maxpreps, received multiple offers from high-profile schools such as Michigan State and Ohio State. Eventually, the play-making safety chose to sign with Clemson, who were coming off a national championship game appearance against the matriarch in college football, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
College
As a freshman for the Tigers, Wallace had six tackles and an interception in 109 snaps over 15 games. He even recorded his first career interception versus North Carolina State. Wallace had a tackle in the only loss that Clemson had that season against Pittsburgh. That year, Clemson went on to beat Alabama 35-31 in a rematch in the national championship game, thanks to the heroics of Deshaun Watson.
In 2017, Wallace was an All-ACC Academic selection … had 36 tackles, an interception for 55 yards and four pass breakups in 14 games including six starts. He also recorded two tackles and a pass breakup in the ACC Championship game against then No.7 Miami. Wallace had four tackles in a 24-7 Sugar Bowl loss to Alabama.
In his junior year, Wallace had 55 tackles in 15 games as Clemson once again defeated Alabama 44-16 to win their second national championship in three years. Wallace intercepted a last-minute two-point conversion attempt in a two-point win at Texas A&M. He even recorded his third career interception vs NC State, all three had come against the Wolfpack. Wallace also had three tackles vs Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
By the end of his senior year, Wallace was named a team captain. He finished his career with 178 career tackles, 21 PBU, five interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), two sacks and two forced fumbles. He won ACC defensive player of the week for his performance against Texas A&M, the first Clemson player to win the award since Xavier Brewer in 2012. Wallace tied Christian Wilkins, Tanner Muse and Cannon Smith for the most career games played at Clemson with 59. Wallace completed his Clemson career in a 42-25 loss to Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers in the national championship game.
Strengths
- Good eye for the ball;
- Accelerates through tackles;
- Good response in switching from man to zone ;
- Powerful build;
- Intelligent and doesn’t make too many mistakes;
- Essential Versatility;
- Threat to score with ball in his hands.
Weaknesses
- Lacks balance at times;
- Can get spun around when playing high coverage;
- Struggles with open tackling;
- Impatience at break point can be noticed;
- Missed more interceptions than caught;
- Struggles with the jump ball.
Bottom Line on K’Von Wallace
Wallace is considered as a utility player in any defense. His lack of recognition due to playing alongside multiple first-round picks in Clemson’s defense is misleading. In addition to playing safety and nickel back, his biggest impact came as a downhill tackler and short coverage specialist. Teams will likely use him in slot coverage or on goal-line situations where he thrived. He may also get a chance to be on offense due to his versatility, but it will take the right coaches to help him achieve that. Wallace also tackles as hard as a linebacker, so coaches may decide to employ him as a box-safety or a run specialist on key situations such as 4th down and inches. Wallace can also be used in heavy blitz packages.
His tenacity and eye for the ball will make him an interesting prospect including his hitting abilities. He will struggle at times in man coverage due to his size and at times is lacking in deep coverage. But he makes up for it with speed and acceleration. His potential at this point is being a backup and being developed through a system that coaches defensive backs at a high level. His abilities will help him translate to the NFL and soon, he could potentially become a starter.
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