BENTONVILLE — Not even a last-minute push from Vanderbilt was enough to make Tearris Wallace change his mind.

Bentonville’s running back made an oral commitment to sign with Memphis and kept his promise when he signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday in the Tiger Athletic Complex.

“It just didn’t work out,” Wallace said of Vanderbilt’s late attempt. “I thought about it, and I wouldn’t have switched, even if it was a bigger school.

“You’re only as good as your word, and that’s the way I felt. Thank God, He gave me an opportunity to do this. It all came together, and I believe I made the right choice.”

Wallace was among four Bentonville players to sign during Wednesday’s ceremony. He was joined by defensive back Gavin Shadrick, who signed with Arkansas Tech; inside linebacker John Donald, who signed with Hendrix; and offensive lineman Trevor Foster, who chose the junior college route with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

A fifth Bentonville player, inside linebacker Garrett Kaufman, signed in December with Arkansas State and is already attending classes in Jonesboro.

Wallace completed his season with 1,777 yards and 26 touchdowns on 297 carries and helped Bentonville finish with a 12-1 record, a sixth straight conference title and a third straight appearance to the Class 7A State Championship. His 66 career touchdowns tied him with D’Arrius Howard of West Memphis and Dedrick Poole of Little Rock Central for the most by a player in the state’s larger schools.

In addition to Vanderbilt, Wallace also turned down offers from Navy and Air Force, as well as Football Championship Series schools Central Arkansas and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

“The coaches — they treat you like family as soon as you get on campus,” Wallace said about Memphis. “It was amazing, and I felt right at home there, and they’re a lot like the coaches here. That’s what drew me there.”

Shadrick, a two-year starter at cornerback, said Arkansas Tech was his first choice. He didn’t make his final decision until Sunday, after he had taken trips to Tech and Harding and met with his family.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “I still have a lot of emotions going on. It’s really exciting, though. I know my family is proud, and I’m proud of myself to be able to get this far.”

Donald, also a two-year starter, was the Tigers’ second-leading tackler both seasons. He loves the idea of a new start at Hendrix, which will begin football again in the fall after a lengthy hiatus.

“The coaches there couldn’t be any more excited about starting a new tradition,” Donald said. “The alumni have poured a lot of money down there, and they really feel it could be a great program.”

Foster began the season as Bentonville’s lone returning starter on the offensive line and was moved to left tackle. He helped the Tigers through a very difficult nonconference slate, but his season ended abruptly when his injured his knee during the opening series of the 7A/6A-West Conference opener against Springdale Har-Ber.