Why Mike Gundy Loves a Disciplined, Hungry Tylan Wallace

There’s one in every class. One guy Mike Gundy props up as a shining example for young people in society today. The names are familiar — Orie Lemon, Kendall Hunter, Chris Lacy — guys who do everything right, don’t say a word and deserve to be looked up to.

This year’s version? It might be Tylan Wallace. He of the 1,491-yard, 12-TD season in 2018. Gundy sang his praises in Stillwater on Friday.

“He hasn’t changed at all,” Gundy said of his junior wideout prize. “He won’t change. He’ll be the same 10 years from now when he’s still playing. It’s just who he is.

“He doesn’t think he’s any different from anyone else. He’s in every blocking drill. He dives for balls. I see him doing it in practice, and I look over at coach Dunn and I’m like, ‘Really? Does he really need to run down the field and dive for a ball eight times a day?’ He just does it. It’s what he does. You can’t get him out. He’s going to play hard, he’s going to be humble, he’s never going to look to himself. If there’s any young people out there looking for a mentor, there’s your mentor.”

I love it. Tylan was among my favorite people to interview last year — not just in CFB but in all the sports I cover — and it’s easy to see why people like him. He’s genuine, smart and thoughtful, and people around him notice. Gundy said he gets his schoolwork done for the week by Wednesday so that he can focus on football for the rest.

“Here’s a guy that’s got a good chance to make some money playing the game,” said Gundy. “He’s still concerned with graduating in three and a half years. He gets everything done on time.”

He said he takes these tales home to his kids.

“This is what you should do all the time,” he tells them. “There’s no excuses. This guy does it. You need to do the same thing. That’s a perfect example of him. He never gets himself in a situation other than success.”

Many, many spots have been hit on your Gundy Bingo card if you’re playing along at home. But for real, 4-star guys who please Gundy on and off the field are more rare than Kansas football wins. And this is where this all comes together, right? Tylan is the 10th-highest ranked recruit in OSU history. A high school superstar who believes in humility and hard work. Somebody who delights the Olds (because he does everything the right way) and the Youngs (because he’s a freak).

He’s a rarity for OSU fans. One we might only get to witness for a few more months (that’s a weird thought). Regardless, it won’t be difficult to cheer for him whether he’s wearing orange and black or red and gold or blue and silver. And thankfully we get (at least) 13 more with him manning a mega-talented wideout group of one of the most consistent offenses in the country.