The last write-up on Wailes at Prep Redzone Iowa dropped seven months ago, before a strong sophomore season at Atlantic. It was time to get a look at how the 11th-grade year went. In a word: well. He stacked up 69.0 tackles with 46 of them solo. Wailes produced seven tackles for loss, three sacks, forced four fumbles, recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass in earning first-team all-district laurels. He shows us how he gets the job done during his highlight video. It’s a well-rounded skill set at linebacker, capable of getting downhill quickly against the run or sticking with receivers in coverage. The first clip has him shooting through for a TFL and the second has him dropping into coverage for a pick. The rest of the film features him running sideline to sideline to make plays and dropping the ball carrier with straight-line speed, too. Wailes could help plenty of college programs on the second level of the defense and would be asset on special teams, too.

Wailes stood out as a sophomore in 2024. He totaled 67.0 tackles (52 solo, 4.5 TFL) and added a sack. Wailes earned first-team all-district honors and set the stage for impacting the action even more this season. During his 10th-grade highlight video, we witness how Wailes gets the job done. Wailes is a force at middle linebacker, operating with physicality. The offensive players feel his presence during the collisions. Wailes plays fast, getting pre-snaps reads that put him in position to pounce. He then flies to the football when he sees a lane for a tackle. His tempo makes it tough to keep him blocked.