A former 99-pound walk-on receiver who transformed into a First-team All-Big 12 safety and team captain at BYU.
Tanner Wall's journey from a 5-foot-3, 99-pound freshman walk-on to an All-Big 12 safety and BYU team captain is one of college football's more unlikely development stories. He signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2026 after fielding interest from several other teams.
Path to the league
Wall walked on at BYU in 2021 as a wide receiver and special-teamer before converting to safety ahead of the 2023 season. He earned a full-time starting job in 2024 and was named a team captain heading into 2025. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, turning down other offers to sign with the Raiders.
Career highlights
Wall started all 13 games at safety for BYU in 2024, recording 53 tackles and three interceptions. He was named a team captain in 2025 and closed his college career with First-team All-Big 12 honors.
2025 season recap
As a team captain in his final season at BYU, Wall earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after a ten-tackle, one-interception performance in a rivalry win over Utah, and he was named First-team All-Big 12 at season's end. He signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in April 2026 after also drawing interest from the Buccaneers, Eagles, and Ravens.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tanner Wall
- ESPN: Tanner Wall
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- BYU
- Hometown
- Arlington, VA, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
