RB High’s Aaron Wallace Jr. commits to Bruins

The decision, which he made last week, settled months of speculation about his future.

Wallace, who turned heads in April when he earned MVP defensive honors at the Nike Football Training Camp at Texas Christian University, was also being courted by the University of Washington and Texas A&M.

On the Internet, Texas A&M fans particularly waited for a decision from the 6-4, 213-pound linebacker, the son of Aaron Wallace, who set the Aggie’s record for most career quarterback sacks, 42, from 1986 to 1989.

The elder Wallace went on to play eight years with the Oakland Raiders, retiring in 1999.

“At first it was a bit of pressure to go to A&M,” the younger Wallace said. “After a while, I realized it was my decision, that I was the one that had to go and live there, and I decided to pick the school that was the best choice for me.”

Wallace said he was drawn to UCLA’s strong academic program, and noted that he struck a good relationship with the coaches.

The proximity of Los Angeles to San Diego also played a factor into his decision, Wallace said, noting that his family would be able to see him play.

“I know that if I went to Texas, they would be able to go to some of the games, but not all of them,” Wallace said. “Being at UCLA, my parents and my grandparents would be able to make it to every game if they wanted.”

Rancho Bernardo Coach Brad Elrod said Wallace has had a good career at Rancho Bernardo so far. Last year he had 65 tackles, but Elrod noted that Wallace really blossomed this year, resulting in standout performances at several high-profile camps this summer.

In addition to his appearance at TCU, Wallace was one of 24 high school players who participated in the first SPARQ Rating National Championship, held in July at the Nike World Headquarters in Oregon.

Later that month, he was also part of the Champion Gridiron Kings high school event in Orlando, Fla., which featured 65 prep football players.

“He’s worked hard and made some great improvements this past year,” Elrod said. “He’s excited about playing football his senior year, and he’s been very humble about the attention he’s been getting.”

Elrod added that Wallace, who has been an outside linebacker for the Broncos, also has a lot of speed and can catch, which means he might be part of the offense this season, helping out as one of the team’s two tight ends.

According to Wallace, his selection as an MVP at the TCU training camp put him on the radar.

“I was pretty much unknown until that point,” Wallace said, adding that — thanks to a talk with his father — he realized he had to start working harder if he wanted to move on to play at the collegiate level.

“I always played hard and focused, but I don’t think I pushed myself as hard as I could,” Wallace said.

He added that as they drove to the Nike camp, he and his father had a heart-to-heart talk.

“He said, ‘I know you can be a great player. I see it in you. You have to go out there and do the work and leave it all on the field and make a name for yourself,’?” Wallace said. “Hearing it from him, it made a lot of sense.”