Trevin Wallace is regularly learning from legendary Carolina Panthers linebackers
Trevin Wallace wants to be great. And he’s turning to a pair of Carolina Panthers legends to help get him to the level he’s striving to reach.
According to the 2024 third-round pick, Wallace is picking the brains of former All-Pro defender Luke Kuechly and Panthers GM Dan Morgan regularly.
Wallace and Kuechly chat often, the second-year linebacker said. He also partakes in weekly film sessions with Morgan, who started in the middle of the Carolina defense during his heyday as a player.
Tuesday’s watch party, with the team’s top football exec, should go over well. Wallace made a handful of plays in the team’s 30-0 home win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
“He already texted me, ‘Film tomorrow,’” Wallace told The Observer on Monday. “I said, ‘You already know it.’”
After a forgettable Week 1 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Wallace received some critical feedback from Morgan, his boss, and Kuechly, his mentor.
The words hit Wallace like a crackback block.
“They told me there were a lot of plays out there that I could have made,” Wallace said. “So, obviously, they’re saying, ‘You’re big, you’re fast, you’re athletic, and you know the defense, so go play like you know it.’
“They always told me like, ‘Don’t always be right. You’re a linebacker, it’s time to go make some decisions fast and go be wrong. If you’re wrong, at least you’re playing fast.’”
In Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, Wallace improved his reaction time and tackling output.
His momentum continued trending upward with a strong performance against the Falcons. Wallace collected four tackles (one for loss) in the box score. But his work on film — as a blitzer, a tackler and a coverage man — was even more impactful.
According to Wallace, the turnaround has, at least partially, come out of his conversations with Kuechly and Morgan.
“Talking to two great linebackers that played here, just getting feedback from them — good, bad or the ugly feedback — has helped me more to improve my game,” Wallace said.
Wallace’s biggest play of the Week 3 win came on a swing pass to tight end Charlie Woerner.
Wallace originally intended blitz to quarterback Michael Penix during the first-quarter play. Instead, the linebacker trusted his gut and stayed with Woerner in the backfield.
The result was a 5-yard loss for Atlanta with a tackle behind the line scrimmage.
“I had already jumped out, so I had beaten him to the spot,” Wallace recalled. “I wasn’t expecting the ball to be thrown, but it was thrown, and I was already there.”
Wallace is ascending. But he needs to be more consistent to have a true breakthrough campaign.
If Wallace can continue to make big plays, he will have his No. 32 called quite a bit this season. That increased action could serve as a launching point to be talked about in the same breath as Morgan and even Kuechly one day.
For now, though, he’s just happy to have the support system.
“I’m very blessed to have a GM that played the position,” Wallace said about Morgan. “And not only played the position but played it very well and is a respected linebacker. ... I can call him any time of day, and say, ‘I want to watch film in the morning with you,’ and we’re good.”
Quick hits
- Head coach Dave Canales said Monday that he would have updates on tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (ankle) and wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) on Wednesday.
- Canales said right guard Robert Hunt underwent successful left biceps surgery last week. Canales said his recovery timeline could put him in line for a late-season return.
- Center Austin Corbett did not undergo surgery on his injured left knee. Canales said Corbett has experience with similar injuries, and the expectation of Corbett’s injury timeline is between six and eight weeks.
- The Panthers are 2-0 in Week 3 games under Canales. Quarterback Bryce Young is 3-1 as a starter against the Falcons in his career.
- Rookie outside linebacker Nic Scourton played a season-high 56 snaps against Atlanta. Fellow rookies, outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen and safety Lathan Ransom, each played 34 snaps on defense.
- The Panthers have four interceptions in their first three games. The defense had nine in 17 games last season.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 4:51 PM.
