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Gary Patterson has built his defense on a combination of speed and smarts, needing to fill the 4-2-5 with players that embody one or both of those characteristics. In safety signee Garret Wallow he gets both in a player that brings the heat in the defensive backfield.
Though he doesn’t have the kind of straight line speed that jumps off the page at you, Wallow is ‘football fast’, flying to the ball, diagnosing plays on the run, and closing on wide receivers like a heat-seeking missile in the open field. At 6’3” he has excellent size for the position, and moves with fluidity sideline to sideline. Able to cover wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends, Wallow packs a punch as a tackler, causing several wide receivers to literally drop the ball as he approached in anticipation of what was coming on multiple occasions in his highlight reel.
Rated a three-star prospect, Wallow accumulated 20 offers, including ones from national brands such as Michigan and Nebraska, in addition to eleven other Power Five programs. Also notable is his interest from high-level academic institutions such as Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt - a testament to his intelligence on and off the field. Wallow racked up 67 total tackles his senior year, along with 5 TFLs, a sack, an interception, and four passes defensed. The Frogs offered Wallow in February of last year, and he committed the following September. They were his fifth offer overall at the time, and second Big 12, following Kansas State. Despite significant interest and offers from Michigan and Nebraska, he never wavered from his commitment to TCU.
You can check out his highlights below. Welcome to the Frog Fam, Garret!