Christian Wallace was ready to postpone his dream of playing NCAA Division I football.

The prize of Oregon State’s 2016 recruiting class, Wallace spent last August in Houston and Louisiana while working to become eligible. It was a trying experience for the burly 6-foot-1-inch, 220-pound cornerback.

“I felt like I was going to quit,” Wallace said. “It was horrible because at that point I was thinking about going to a junior college, but my mom and my girlfriend never let me quit anything.”

Wallace kept at it and was finally cleared in early September. He arrived in Oregon shortly thereafter to begin his college career.

Rated the nation’s No. 6 athlete and a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, the late-arriving Wallace redshirted in 2016 and is battling to take over Treston Decoud’s vacated starting spot at corner.

“He’s improved a lot with his mechanics, the art of the backpedal,” cornerbacks coach Cory Hall said after Tuesday’s practice at Summit High in Bend, where the Beavers are staging preseason camp this week. “Those are the things we actually talked about this morning. He’s on schedule with what his development should be.”

Wallace is still learning the intricacies of the corner position.

As a prep star for Sealy High in southeastern Texas, Wallace primarily played running back and finished with 10 touchdowns as a senior. He chose Oregon State over offers from TCU, Texas and Mississippi State, among others.

To have a longer career, Wallace was interested in making the switch to defense.

“On a scale of one to 10, I feel like I’m at a seven with my technique,” Wallace said. “I feel like I’ve improved a lot. This is my first year focusing on that spot, so I think I have a lot to keep going over but I’m learning pretty good.”

Like Wallace, Hall was a running back in high school before transitioning to corner during his freshman season at Fresno State.

Hall mastered the position and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. He went on to play six seasons in the NFL.

“I had a lot of big colleges after me but it was for running back; I chose the college based on who was going to let me play (defensive back),” said Hall, who was tired of getting battered by larger players. “When I got to Fresno State, I couldn’t backpedal. They all laughed at me. A couple guys said, ‘How’d you get a scholarship? Why are you here?’”

Hall worked tirelessly with coach Ken Greene, a former NFL safety, to develop his technique. By the end of his college career, Hall recalled, he had some of the quickest feet in the Bulldogs’ secondary.

“So that’s how I know that if you put the time in and your mind to it, you can do it,” Hall said. “When I look at a Christian Wallace, the conversion (to defense) is easy. It’s just how hard you want to work.”

Wallace credits Hall for helping him mature on and off the field.

In less than a year, Wallace is already feeling significantly more comfortable in the secondary.

“Coach Hall is my biggest resource here,” Wallace said. “He’s a great man. I see him as a father figure because he took me from straight offense, not playing a down of cornerback, to making me an average player already within like six months. So I praise him.”

Wallace is the first to admit that he is far from a finished product.

While his technique has improved, Wallace acknowledges that he must work harder at learning the schemes. Safety Jalen Moore believes the playbook will be Wallace’s final hurdle in earning a starting spot opposite Xavier Crawford.

“He’s doing a lot better with that than he did last year,” Moore said. “Everyone in this league has speed, talent and athleticism. What’s going to separate each guy is his IQ and mental capacity. That’s what’s really important.”

The Beavers in Bend

Oregon State’s weeklong preseason camp in Bend continues with another closed practice Thursday at Summit High School. On Friday, the team will conclude its Central Oregon stay with a 7:30 p.m. scrimmage. The scrimmage is open to the public and will follow a Fan Fest program scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. in the Summit High gym. Admission to the Fan Fest and the scrimmage is free.