Miami adds a talented player with a checkered injury history
In this installment of The Recruiting Notebook, we meet a talented defensive back with an wealth of talent, and a significant caveat: Miami (FL) Central 4-star DB Amari Wallace.
Bio
As Miami looked to add playmaking defenders to the 2025 recruiting class, they turned their attention to Miami (FL) Central DB Amari Wallace.
A 5’10” 172lb defensive back, Wallace has a long history of making plays. As a sophomore at Miami Central in 2022, Wallace started for the 2M State Champions. Along the way, he had 44 tackles, 10 PBU and 2 INT, and also blocked a pair of punts.
Like many local players, Wallace visited Miami’s Coral Gables campus multiple times. And, playing for 7v7 team Raw Miami, he gained notoriety for his strong play through the spring and summer months.
Looking to build on his strong initial showing as a junior, Wallace had another strong year for Central’s defense. 28 tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 PBUs, and a forced fumble for the 8-5 Rockets who made it to Florida’s 2M State Semi-finals.
Wallace took another Unofficial Visit to Miami during his junior year, and started picking up offers shortly thereafter. Illinois, Florida, SMU, East Carolina, and USF were among the teams to extend Wallace scholarship offers after his 2 seasons starring for Central’s defense.
Like many other players, Wallace took visits, both official and unofficial, in the spring. Unlike many other players, however, Wallace only took visits to Miami. And, following his Official Visit to Miami, Wallace committed to the hometown Canes on June 21st.
Also, unlike many other players, the story with Wallace doesn’t stop there.
In South Florida, and all over the place, but that’s another story, teams get together for informal, off-the-books “scrimmages”, or joint practices in July and August before the season starts. Miami Central had such a session against the Miramar Patriots (shoutout to my old job lol), and that’s when the story turns. Allegedly, during this joint practice/scrimmage event, Wallace was doing what he does, and broke on a pass and jumped up to make a leaping interception.
Unfortunately for him, Wallace landed badly and sustained a serious compound fracture to his leg, an injury that could cost him 2 years (he didn’t play a single down as a senior and there’s no guarantee he plays as a freshman in 2025), and there’s no guarantee he returns to the level of player he was pre-injury if he’s able to return to action.
There are differing accounts as to the conditions of the field, which may or may not have been the root cause of Wallace’s injury, depending on your view. Wallace’s parents have filed suit against Miami-Dade County Schools (because Central is a MDCS school) and Broward County Public Schools (because Miramar is a BCPS school), so this story isn’t ending anytime soon.
Recruiting Ranking
On the 247sports composite, Wallace is a 4-star prospect, the #34 S nationally, #49 in the State of Florida, and #361 player overall in this class.
Wallace committed to Miami over a robust list of 28 scholarship offers from around the country, which included Alabama, Florida, Michigan State, Oklahoma, SMU, and Texas.
As A Player
At 5’10” 172lbs, Wallace isn’t the biggest player on the field. He has good enough size, however, for defensive back. Still, Wallace would need to gain a bit of size on his lithe frame to play consistently at the college level.
When healthy, Wallace showed good instincts and range at Safety and Slot CB. He routinely made plays from both positions. From Safety, Wallace can cover ground from sideline to sideline supporting his fellow defender and making plays on the ball. Wallace has good ball skills, and routinely catches the ball with his hands, something that DBs struggle with.
Like many smaller DBs, Wallace is a wok-in-progress as a tackler. Bigger blockers and ball carriers have an advantage over him, and he’ll have to use effort and angles to overcome the size disparity in college.
As I detailed above, the biggest issue at hand here is Wallace’s recovery from the compound fracture he sustained to his leg before his senior season. Such injuries can and have cost players multiple seasons of recovery and rehab, and there’s no guarantee Wallace will return to the same form he had pre-injury.
For another look at Wallace (pre-injury), here’s an eval from 247sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins.
An instinctive, half-field safety prospect with tons of range that has made plays since he was a freshman for the powerhouse that is Miami Central. Has yet to test or measure anywhere, but multiple in-person evaluations suggest that he’s hovering right around 5-foot-11. Will likely need to add some bulk before he’s ready to go on Saturdays, but already plays a bit fearless despite being on the lighter side. Quick to trigger and can cover a ton of ground as he uses sharp angles and an adequate burst to get where he needs to be. Has some experience playing man-coverage from his deep posting and can quickly take away throwing lanes. Came up with a big interception for the Rockets in a nationally-televised game against Chaminade-Madonna Prep and has a knack for creating takeaways at key moments. Has also made an impact on special teams blocking multiple kicks and punts over the years. Should be viewed as one of the top defenders coming out of South Florida in the 2025 cycle given his early body of work. Might need some time to get adjusted to the everyday demands of Power Five football, but has what it takes to eventually emerge as a true difference-maker on the backend for the collegiate program of his choice.
Strengths
- Playmaking
- Championship experience
- Athleticism
Weaknesses
- Weight (a bit thin)
- Run support
- Injury recovery
Miami Outlook
Note: changed this up from just a freshman-season outlook to a career outlook for each player a couple years ago and we’re continuing that style this year as well.
At the risk of sounding redundant, the main issue here is Wallace’s recovery from injury. The gruesome compound fracture he sustained to his leg is a tough one to overcome, and has cost players their careers previously. If Wallace is able to recovery the majority of his athleticism through his recovery, that would be a big win for him personally, and Miami collectively.
If Wallace makes it back to action, he’s a quality player who can add depth and talent to Miami’s secondary. The level of his role, in whole or in part, is predicated on a full and successful recovery from his injury. At this point, I’m setting my expectations low, with special teams and rotational duty being the most likely outcome. Anything over that is a bonus, in my opinion. Here’s hoping Wallace and make that bonus come true.
That’s it for this installment of The Recruiting Notebook.
Go Canes