Cornell Lacrosse Player Walker Wallace to Join UVA Football as a Tight End

Wallace returns to the gridiron for the first time since high school, where he helped lead the St. Christopher’s School to a runner-up VISAA Championship and school-best 10-2 record. For personal accolades, Wallace earned second-team All-State honors at tight end. 

Defensive End Billy Koudelka also played lacrosse in high school: Billy Koudelka: Virginia Football’s Unsung Workhorse

Despite the success on the football field, Wallace proved to be even more dominant on the lacrosse field, earning U.S. Lacrosse All-American honors his junior year as a standout goalie, leading him to follow the footsteps of his older brother Fleet and commit to Cornell for lacrosse. 

When Wallace arrived in Ithaca, New York, his hopes of playing college lacrosse were delayed a year due to COVID-19 canceling the 2021 Ivy League season. In 2022, Wallace failed to see the field, which led him to make an unexpected move.

In his junior year, Wallace decided to switch positions from goalie to long stick midfielder, seeing the game-wrecker he could be with his 6’7 240 pound frame. The unlikely move quickly paid off as he appeared in 14 games and logged seven caused turnovers and 12 groundballs to go along with two goals and one assist in transition. 

In 2024, Wallace’s success only continued as he recorded one goal and two assists while registering three caused turnovers and seven groundballs. 

Then, this past year, Wallace, who was named a co-captain, dominated during Cornell’s National Championship campaign as he put up 19 groundballs and 11 caused turnovers as he appeared in all 19 games. In the National Championship game against Maryland, he recorded a caused turnover to help the Big Red earn its first title since 1977. 

Now, Wallace turns his attention back to football, where he will slot in as a tight end for the Cavaliers, joining his uncle Charles McDaniel, who played football for the Hoos from 1982-85. 

Wallace joins a tight-end room led by Dakota Twitty and Sage Ennis and stands as the tallest among the three. 

Now back in his home state, Wallace will look to readjust to the gridiron quickly. 

Wallace joins the Virginia football team, which has a loaded transfer class that includes offensive standouts such as quarterback Chandler Morris from North Texas, wide receiver Jahmal Edrine from Purdue, running backs J’Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee, in addition to a multitude of offensive linemen. 

For a fun fact, Wallace is not the only National Champion on the roster as defensive end Mitchell Melton won a National Championship with Ohio State this past January in football.

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