Texas 2026 QB Payton Wallen Putting Together All the Pieces

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

The first question answered when scouting Payton Wallen; can he play? Most definitely. What kind of arm does the 2026 quarterback have – gun; check. Can he move around in the pocket, create time, and allow plays to develop downfield? Check, check, and check. Does Wallen have prototypical size? 6-3, 225; check. Is he playing against quality competition – with Ford High School (Quinlan, TX); check.

All the pieces for Wallen are coming together, and college coaches are starting to take notice.

The offense the Panthers executed during the 2024 season was unique – a take on the Wing-T but with some flair.

“We ran a Fly-T,” Wallen stated. “It is like a Wing-T but instead of our running back being out for us, our wing is not super wide, he’d be right outside the tackle’s outer leg. With our Fly-T, it is a fly motion, and it is not as long.”

Taking on 4A Texas defenses helped Wallen’s game grow.

“I feel like I gained a lot of confidence from the beginning to the end of the season,” Wallen said. “I also feel like I got stronger and bigger. The game slowed down. I broke down film easier, and that was helping the game slow down.

“Most of the teams we played ran a deep Cover 3. They would have to crowd the box, that’s when we go. We’d go over the middle and break it out loose when they’d drop their safeties. We did see Cover 2 in one game, and we were able to gash them in our run game.

“My accuracy improved a lot from the first scrimmage to the last game. My footwork improved, and I had more touch on the ball. Everything started to come together towards the end of the season.”

The next version of Wallen is being worked on this offseason.

“I am mostly working on footwork and getting faster,” Wallen shared. “My mechanics are to the point where I am accurate. I am working on my footwork and getting faster for the open field so I can get those extra yards. I am also working on throwing over defenders. For Christmas I got a skills prop used for basketball; I use them as defenders to throw over.”

Extra live reps will be had on the 7-on-7 circuit.

“I am on RRQB 18u Black,” Wallen stated. “My QB training organization, they do 7-on-7 every year. They recruit guys all over the metroplex; we will be good.”

Recruiting interest is coming Wallen’s way.

“UTEP, North Dakota State, UNT (North Texas) a little bit, North Dakota, and Wyoming is starting to talk to me,” Wallen shared. “They texted me yesterday.”

Game day visits were taken to North Dakota State, Charleston, and North Texas.

Multiple visits with the Bison have laid down a strong core relationship.

“Their coaches, I camped there, they really liked me,” Wallen said. “When I got there, I was the only one. I saw their walkthrough; I was the only recruit that did that. I talked to the coaches privately. I got to see when they went through the formation calls; all the QBs came up to me afterwards to say hi.

“They play in a dome. They get 20,000-plus; it gets so loud. I was there for a rivalry game; it was packed. It was sold out; that was a fun environment. All the people were nice. It was so much fun.”

UTEP got Wallen on campus over the weekend.

“When I first got there, we toured their facilities,” Wallen stated. “We saw the training room, then the locker room, and went out on the field. It was cool to be on the field. Coach (Scotty) Walden gave a speech. He was talking about all the things to do in El Paso, how cool their program is, and what their expectations are.

“Then they went over their offensive scheme. He said he fits the scheme towards the quarterback. All the players are not zeroed in on a position; they move them around to get them to make plays.

“I talked to their new offensive coordinator (Mark Cala); they hired him yesterday. I talked to their assistant QB coach, coach (Miguel) Avina; he was a cool guy. We talked a lot. We talked about my film and about my season. He highlighted a couple of my plays.

“I asked them about my fit in their offense, they said, “yes, we like you; we think you’d fit in just fine here”. He said, “I believe you are a D-I talent, a hidden gem, and I am happy I found your film”.”

The Bison are set to host Wallen again.

“I am going to North Dakota State on the 31st,” Wallen stated.

NOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

In addition to football, Wallen also powerlifts with a bench max at 275, squat max at 500, and 475 on deadlift. The athleticism carries over into track and field events where he throws the discus. Last season his personal best was 150 but believes he will get 180 to 190 this year.

Season stats for Wallen running the Fly-T: 725 yards on 42 completions with five touchdowns and 518 rushing yards off 56 carries with seven more scores. A part-time two-way player, Wallen tallied 11 stops, four pass breakups, and even swiped one away from the opposing QB.