Louisiana Safety Jarrius Wallace has committed to the University of Arizona Football program!
With all the committing and de-committing going on these days, it’s hard to figure out what is going on sometimes. But this is for sure, Safety Jarrius Wallace (John Ehret/Marrero, Louisiana), pronounced “Jerry-us”, will become a Wildcat next summer. Wallace also had offers from Colorado, UCF, Tulane and Northwestern.
ZonaZealots had the pleasure to get to know this solid and determined young athlete and came away really impressed.
Wallace was just offered on January 8th and took his official visit to Tucson last weekend. Rich Rodriguez and his new defensive coaching staff traveled to Louisiana the following Monday for a hometown visit. Wallace committed to them in person which must have made them all triumphal.
Wallace enjoyed meeting and getting to know his new coaches. We asked him which coaches came to visit him and if he liked them, “I really do! Coach Rod, Addae, Mcgee, Yates and Williams. I like that they are cool I can relate to them.”
Well, that’s fantastic news!
Coach Calvin Magee has proven Louisiana is a great state to find talent, and you know the rest of the Pac-12 aren’t looking there, well, except for Colorado.
Arizona Wildcats recruiting commit: Jarrius Wallace @_lahjar, Louisiana safety https://t.co/uEwuyYh9ER https://t.co/kAj9AR36xv
— Pacific Talks (@PacificTalks) January 26, 2016
Coming from Louisiana, we were curious if he spoke with current Arizona Wildcats Antonio Parks and Kendall Franklin and if it made a difference in his decision, “Yeah I talked to them on my visit, and yeah that was a plus.”
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Living in Louisiana has always been a picnic for Wallace, he has a sister and a few friends sitting in prison. They are his inspiration for excelling in college and life. “it’s just me wanting to, and they want me to get out of here and become something.”
As far as an NFL player who he aspires to mimic, “Sean Taylor is all above.” Taylors teammates nicknamed him ‘Meast’ for playing safety like he was half man and half beast due to his hard hitting style. Taylor played for the University of Miami where he earned unanimous All-American honors was part of the Hurricanes’ 2001 BCS National Championship team. He was so good; he was drafted as the 5th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.
Wallace did his homework!
Jarrius, or G-Money as his friends and teammates call him, is one of six children. He has two older brothers and sisters and one younger sister. His mom Harriet lives and works in Mississippi while his sister Quen is studying to be a registered nurse. Wallace lives in Louisiana with his older brothers, Leroy (Kamala) and Brandon.
The University of Arizona beckons him. “It is a good fit for me, and I like the Environment and the players,” he said, “I’m looking forward to being somewhere different and getting my education and being the best player I can be.” His new coaches advised him that they will be running with five defensive backs, ” There is a good chance I will be able to come in and play right away.”
Wallace feels education was a big part of his decision; he is going to major in Chemical Engineering and plans to come to Tucson next summer. We asked him to describe himself, “I’m a happy person but serious when I have to be, I just chill and talk to my friends and family , and my favorite food is lasagna.”
The three-star safety weighs 170 pounds and stands 6’1; he plans to bulk up over the summer. When asked why he chose to play Safety, he answered, “I like that position because it gives me a chance to catch picks and also hit players hard, and my brother Brandon convinced me to play that position.” He wants to wear the same number he wore in high school, the number three.
Wallace has no problem keeping calm in stressful situations, especially in games, “I just take a deep breath and prepare myself to have fun it’s mostly natural.” Asked how he prepares for a game, the answer was profound and deeply moving, “I listen to music and look at a picture of my sister and my friends in jail and I sit back and think, ‘I gotta do better.'”
Jarrius also puts the words ‘RestYoung’ on the tape and wears it around his wrist when he plays in a football game. Rest Young is related to a Twitter hashtag, #RestYoung, which is another way to say RIP or ‘Rest In Peace’ respecting a young soul who has passed on.
Wallace also uses this sentiment on his Twitter account(@_lahjar) which is ‘RestYoungBoy’. If you thought there was a particular person he had in mind you would be right, Jarrius tells ZonaZealots he is paying homage to his close friend Stefan Johnson, who passed on two years ago. RestYoung Stefan.
G-Money has a message for Wildcats fans:
“Tell them I love them and hope I can be everything they want me to be.” How can you not already adore this young man?
Jason Scheer’s update on Wallace from Scout.com:
You can preview Wallace’s highlights in this video below:
More wildcats: Arizona Football Adds a Commitment to 2017 Class
BearDown Jarrius, we can’t wait to cheer you and get to know you more!