OT Caedan Wallace putting scouts on notice just days before Shrine Bowl
After starting 39 games at right tackle for Penn State over the past four seasons (the most of any player on the roster), [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] will suit up for the East Team in Frisco during the East-West Shine Bowl on Thursday. Wallace will suit up alongside former Nittany Lion teammate center Hunter Nourzad, who is also playing for the East team.
Other former Nittany Lions, linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag], will be playing for the West team.
Throughout the first few days of practice that began on Saturday, Wallace received rave reviews from media members.
Carney also mentioned that Wallace was getting work at left tackle and that his athleticism should go up in a big way in both spots. An offensive lineman holding the necessary athleticism to play both tackle positions is massive for NFL teams.
Wallace is one of the East team’s four tackles, along with Illinois’ Julian Pearl, Maryland’s Gottlieb Ayedze, and Oklahoma’s Walter Rouse. Wallace and the rest of the East team will be coached by Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. The offensive line coaches for the East are Luke Stocker, an offensive assistant coach for the Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson.
With Clemson’s Xavier Thomas and Colorado State’s Mo Kamara lining up on the edges, Wallace is getting reps against two top 20 edge defenders in the 2024 draft. With already positive reviews coming in for Wallace, it points to a rise of his draft stock, especially considering that many coaches at these pre-draft all-star games put more stock into the practices than the actual game.
Wallace projects as a late-round pick, perhaps as high as a fifth-rounder, considering his performances in Frisco this week.
The Shrine Bowl is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on NFL Network and be played at the Dallas Cowboys practice facility known as “The Star.”
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