Tag: Zayden Walker

Georgia lands in-state 2025 five-star linebacker

As recruiting continues to heat up this month, the Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart have secured another major commitment to their 2025 class.

As recruiting continues to heat up this month, the Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart have secured another major commitment to their 2025 class. Zayden Walker, a five-star linebacker out of Ellaville, Georgia, announced on Wednesday afternoon his decision to join the Bulldogs. He chose Georgia over Miami, Penn State, and South Carolina, among others.

Walker is listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. Playing on both sides during his junior season at Schley County High School, he recorded 40 tackles, 16.5 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles at the linebacker position while also playing rushing for 518 yards and 13 touchdowns as a running back. He also plays basketball and runs track, and his brother, Zykeivous Walker, currently plays on the defensive line at Auburn.

When asked why he chose Georgia, Walker told 247Sports, “Because they check every box. Getting me to the next level, making me the best I can be on and off-the-field. Great head coach, good winning program. They really check every box. So it’s more of a ‘Why not?’ type of deal with Georgia.”

Walker’s commitment gives the Bulldogs their highest rated player in the class of 2025 thus far. He joins four-star Jadon Perlotte out of Buford as the second linebacker currently committed in this cycle.

Five-star LB recruit: ‘Georgia is still the top school for me’

Five-star Georgia football recruiting target appears to be leaning toward UGA

Five-star Georgia Bulldogs recruiting target Zayden Walker was impressed after his official visit to the University of Georgia. “Georgia is still the top school for me,” said Walker to On3’s Chad Simmons.

Georgia is looking build up its class of 2025 recruiting class. The Bulldogs currently have nine commitments and the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation. If Kirby Smart and company can land Walker, then that would certainly help Georgia rise in the 2025 recruiting rankings.

Five-star linebacker recruit Zayden Walker, who is the No. 10 recruit in the country and the second-ranked linebacker, recently named his top four schools of Georgia, Miami, Penn State and South Carolina. Walker plans to announce his commitment on July 5. Walker is the second-ranked player in Georgia.

Walker plays high school football for Schley County High School in Ellaville, Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker has elite speed and also participates in high school basketball. Walker plays running back in addition to linebacker.

The Georgia Bulldogs have landed numerous elite linebacker prospects over the past two cycles and are looking to sign more top linebackers again in 2025.

Georgia has a massive recruiting month coming up. Walker is not the only Georgia recruiting target that is planning to announce his commitment in July.

 

A new 5-star group: 247Sports updates its list of best players in the class of 2025

Recruiting outlet 247Sports released its updated list of five-star players in the class of 2025, led by Bryce Underwood and Tavien St. Clair.

As the school year comes to a close, 247Sports has updated its list of five-star players for the soon-to-be seniors in the class of 2025.

Thirty-two players who will be graduating next year are ranked as five-star players, the top of the blue chips of the high school football world. LSU quarterback commit Bryce Underwood maintained his No. 1 spot after impressing the recruiting outlet early this summer, but other spots have shifted.

Tavien St. Clair

The Ohio State quarterback commit, ranked No. 2 by 247Sports, earned lofty praise from the outlet: “No signal-caller has made more of a year-over-year improvement.”

Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, St. Clair completed 70% of his passes last year, according to the outlet. He is ranked No. 16 on the 247Sports Composite rankings, which combines rankings from other recruiting leaders like Rivals and ESPN, showing the development 247Sports perceives in his game.

Underwood has long been widely considered the top prospect in the class, but St. Clair could make a run at being the top QB and player with another outstanding season.

Ohio State reps the top of the class

The Buckeyes must be feeling good seeing this updated ranking. In addition to St. Clair taking the No. 2 spot, two other Ohio State commits are among the top six players in the class.

Star cornerback Devin Sanchez, ranked No. 4, maintains his ranking as the best cornerback in the group. He dominated for North Shore last season and had five interceptions, according to MaxPreps.

He could form a dynamic CB tandem with No. 6 Na’eem Offord, also committed to the Buckeyes. A state qualifier in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, Offord can keep up with any receiver.

247Sports wrote, “There’s plenty of debate behind the scenes as to who should hold the tag of CB1.” That’s no problem for Ohio State.

Zayden Walker

Walker’s new ranking of No. 10 on 247Sports is substantially different from his Composite ranking, No. 21. According to 247Sports, Walker impressed 247Sports with a 52-foot, 5-inch shot put toss and has been recorded running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash.

His power and speed, along with a 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame, places him as the second-ranked linebacker in the class of 2025, behind Jonah Williams at No. 7.

Kaliq Lockett

Kaliq Lockett overtook Caleb Cunningham as the No. 2 receiver in the country, behind Dakorien Moore. Lockett recorded 59 receptions for 1,299 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior and, according to 247Sports, has a 6-foot-7 wingspan. He’s now listed at No. 11 overall in class.

USC’s presence

Only three players have committed to a university in the 11-20 range of the rankings. Those three are defensive lineman Justus Terry, quarterback Julian Lewis and EDGE rusher Isaiah Gibson.

All three are committed to USC.

Terry, ranked No. 12, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds. His ranking is lower than the composite ranking, and 247Sports wrote that it wants to see him “improve his game plan as a pass rusher” but has the potential to “be a true difference-maker.”

Lewis, at No. 16, has often been considered the second-best quarterback in the class. This new 247Sports list has it differently. That’s not for lack of performance, as he completed 66% of his passes for 3,094 yards, 48 touchdowns and two interceptions last year.

Gibson is ranked one spot below Lewis, and 247Sports loves him in comparison to peer outlets — he’s still at No. 55 on the composite. He recorded 17 sacks last season.

Massive differences between new 247Sports ranking and Composite ranking

Gibson’s ranking No. 17 on 247Sports and No. 55 on the composite is a large gap, a difference of 38 spots. But that’s not the largest disconnect between industry-wide rankings and 247Sports’ recent analysis.

Auburn commit Malik Autry, a defensive lineman, is ranked 178 on the Composite and No. 29 in the new rankings. 247Sports says this is because he’s able to beat double teams and get into run lanes at his 6-foot-5, 320-pound size. He “might need a developmental year or two, but he projects as the ideal nose,” 247Sports wrote.

The largest gap was the penultimate player ranked five-stars, Jerome Myles — No. 31 on 247Sports’ new list and No. 228 on the Composite. “He checks off box after box for us,” wrote 247Sports, citing his blistering 10.36-second run in the 100-meter dash that broke a 43-year-old record and his performance in the championship game after returning from injury.

As other outlets begin to update their rankings over summer, will we see corresponding rises for Autry and Myles? Or does 247Sports see something others don’t?

Full list of 247Sports’ five-star players
  1. Bryce Underwood, QB, LSU commit
  2. Tavien St. Clair, QB, Ohio State commit
  3. David Sanders, OT
  4. Devin Sanchez, CB, Ohio State commit
  5. Dakorien Moore, WR
  6. Na’eem Offord, CB, Ohio State commit
  7. Jonah Williams, LB
  8. Elijah Griffin, DL
  9. DJ Pickett, CB
  10. Zayden Walker, LB
  11. Kaliq Lockett, WR
  12. Justus Terry, DL, USC commit
  13. Josh Petty, OT
  14. Andrew Babalola, OT
  15. Iose Epenesa, DL
  16. Julian Lewis, QB, USC commit
  17. Isaiah Gibbons, EDGE, USC commit
  18. Ty Haywood, OT
  19. Jared Smith, EDGE
  20. Michael Terry III, ATH
  21. Elyiss Williams, TE, Georgia commit
  22. Caleb Cunningham, WR
  23. Trey McNutt, SAF
  24. Solomon Thomas, IOL, FSU commit
  25. Jamie Ffrench, WR
  26. Linkon Cure, TE
  27. Michael Fasusi, OT
  28. Husan Longstreet, QB, Texas A&M commit
  29. Malik Autry, DL, Auburn commit
  30. George MacIntyre, QB, Tennessee commit
  31. Jerome Myles, WR, Ole Miss commit
  32. Derek Meadows, WR

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Penn State getting visit from five-star LB ahead of commitment date

Penn State would love to secure a commitment from this five-star linebacker.

There is a lot of work left to do for Penn State in their class of 2025.

After starting off being ranked in the Top 10 during early rankings, they now sit 17th in On3’s latest update.

One thing that would go a long way to boosting their overall profile is landing one of the best players still available in the class.

They have that opportunity with linebacker [autotag]Zayden Walker[/autotag] set to visit Happy Valley this summer as he will announce his commitment after taking his scheduled official visits.

The Georgia native is rated as a five-star and the No. 9 overall player according to 247Sports.

His official commitment date is July 5.

Walker has set that date as a way to go on his official visits and have time to come back home and think about his decision before ultimately announcing which college he’ll play for going forward.

Greg Pickel of On3 shares that these visits are going to be a major deciding factor in where he commits. He is searching for strong relationships and a program that allows him to play and develops him. The good news is he’s a fan of new defensive coordinator [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag]. The bad news is Walker already hinted that Georgia and South Carolina have an edge over the Nittany Lions (subscription required).

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine reflects that as Georgia are huge favorites to land him with a 74.1% chance.

But, with the 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker taking his official visit to Penn State starting June 7, there is still a chance they can land the five-star.

Walker said he’s never been to Happy Valley before but has liked the way he’s been recruited and is looking forward to seeing what campus has to offer.

4-star Georgia QB commit recruits 5-star LB to join him at UGA

Four-star Georgia football quarterback commit Ryan Montgomery is recruiting other top recruits to join him at UGA

Four-star Georgia Bulldogs quarterback commit Ryan Montgomery is putting in work on the recruiting trail for the Dawgs. Montgomery is trying to help Georgia build up its class of 2025 recruiting class.

He most recently recruited five-star linebacker recruit Zayden Walker. Walker, who is the No. 9 recruit in the country and the No. 1 linebacker, recently named his top four schools of Georgia, Miami, Penn State and South Carolina. Walker plans to announce his commitment on July 5.

Walker plays high school football for Schley County High School in Ellaville, Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker has excellent speed and also participates in high school basketball. Walker plays running back in addition to linebacker.

“Come home,” said Ryan Montgomery in social media post to Walker. Georgia does not need much help at recruiting linebackers. The Bulldogs have landed numerous elite linebacker prospects over the past two cycles and are looking to sign more top linebackers again in 2025.

Montgomery has emerged as a leader of Georgia’s recruiting class and will be a strong advocate for the Bulldogs moving forward.

Five-star LB sets official visit date with Georgia

Schley County LB Zayden Walker is visiting UGA football again this spring

The Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart have the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Georgia is in the hunt to land a commitment from five-star linebacker recruit Zayden Walker.

Zayden Walker is the 10th ranked recruit in the class of 2025. Walker plays high school football for Schley County High School in Ellaville, Georgia. Walker is ranked as the top linebacker and No. 4 recruit in Georgia in his recruiting class, per 247Sports.

The Schley County standout has an official visit scheduled with the University of Georgia for May 31. Walker, who has previously visited Georgia, is a key in-state recruiting target for the Bulldogs.

Georgia football five commitments in the class of 2025. Georgia has a pair of commitments from five-star recruits in the 2025 cycle and is always a contender for top linebacker recruits.

Walker has recently visited Miami, Georgia, and Florida State. The five-star pass rusher also participates in track and field. One of Walker’s brothers, Zykeivous Walker, plays for the Auburn Tigers. His other brother, Jalewis Solomon, signed with South Carolina.

Alabama lands in top 6 for nation’s No. 1 LB, 2025 prospect Zayden Walker

Zayden Walker revealed his top six schools on his birthday. The Georgia native included Alabama as a finalist to land his commitment.

Zayden Walker is the nation’s No. 1-ranked linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class. Walker narrowed his list of finalists down to six schools. Among those listed was Alabama.

Walker plays for Schley County High School in Ellaville, Georgia. He has had a stellar junior season thus far. Walker has recorded 33 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and six sacks.

Schley County is 12-0 and a large reason for their success on the defensive side of the ball stems from Walker. He is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker that can rush the passer as well as drop back in coverage.

Alabama has hosted Walker for four unofficial visits. The Crimson Tide will have the opportunity to host Walker for an official visit in the future in all likelihood. His recruitment will be one to monitor moving forward for Alabama fans.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Zayden Walker’s recruiting profile.

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Blue-chip teammates set to visit the Swamp next weekend

Florida’s hosting a pair of blue-chip teammates from the Peach State next weekend, including a 2025 five-star.

The month of March has been a busy one for Florida’s recruiting staff as players continue to drop by and observe spring camp, and things aren’t slowing down in the back half of the month. A pair of blue-chip teammates out of Schley County (Ellaville, Georgia), 2024 athlete [autotag]Jalewis Solomon[/autotag] and 2025 linebacker [autotag]Zayden Walker[/autotag], are planning on visiting the Swamp on March 25, according to 247Sports.

Walker might be young, but he is a five-star recruit on the 247Sports composite despite receiving four-star grades from three of the four main recruiting services — ESPN hasn’t given him a grade yet. Sophomores don’t tend to get their fifth star until their junior and senior year, but Walker is well on pace to do so as the No. 5 overall player on the On3 industry ranking.

Florida offered him back in November, but Walker has also heard from several of the top programs in the country. Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas A&M have all offered him a scholarship, among plenty of others.

Florida State recently hosted Walker on campus and is leading the On3 recruiting prediction machine for him, but a lot can change after a visit. The Seminoles are also leading for athlete Jalewis Solomon, who is a four-star recruit by everyone’s measure by 247Sports. He’s still ranked No. 194 overall in the class of 2024, though, and is No. 10 among athletes on the On3 industry ranking.

Solomon also picked up an offer in November but is a year ahead of Walker in his decision timeline. No decision date has been set just yet, but Solomon has named a top 11. The Gators like him as a receiver but there are schools that want him to play defensive back. That could play a role in his decision.

The good news is that Solomon plans to take things slow, which means he could wait until the middle or end of his senior season to make a commitment.

By no means are these recruits a tandem deal, but they will likely visit together. Impressing Solomon, and potentially earning a commitment from him, could go a long with Walker, who is at the top of his class.

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Florida staff visits 4-star teammates toward end of contact period

Florida coaches were in Georgia this week to check in with a pair of blue-chip teammates.

Florida outside linebackers coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] was one of the latest to stop by Schley County High (Ellaville, Georgia) to see blue-chip teammates [autotag]Jalewis Solomon[/autotag] and [autotag]Zayden Walker[/autotag], according to Gators Online.

Solomon is an athlete in the class of 2024 ranked in the top 100 by On3 and Walker is an edge rusher ranked No. 3 overall in the class of 2025. Both received four-star designations from On3, but Walker should be a five-star once the class of 2025 matures a bit.

Florida offered both players in November and hosted them for the South Carolina game. The staff paying them a visit just goes to show how seriously they are taking the duo, and this relationship dates back at least a year to the 2022 Orange and Blue Game.

Florida isn’t short on competition for the duo. Deion Sanders and Colorado recently joined a group of contenders that includes recruiting heavyweights such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and USC among others.

Solomon will be the first to commit, but whoever gets him could stand a good chance at landing Walker in the next cycle. They aren’t exactly marketing themselves as a duo, but it’s hard not to recruit one blue-chip defensive player when another plays right next to him.

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Highly-coveted 2025 LB Zayden Walker visiting Alabama this weekend

Alabama is set to host talented, 2025 LB Zayden Walker this weekend in Tuscaloosa. He is the younger brother of Auburn DT Zykeivous Walker.

Alabama has already begun to recruit the 2025 class. Coach Saban and the rest of his staff have already offered a multitude of recruits from a class that is three years away from arriving on campus. The Tide will continue to host some of those recruits during the offseason as well as the regular season.

One of those recruits is 2025 linebacker, Zayden Walker. Walker has an older brother that plays defensive tackle at Auburn, Zykeivous Walker. Walker is set to visit Tuscaloosa this weekend and it will be the Georgia native’s first trip to the Capstone since receiving an offer from Alabama in May.

Up to this point, he has received 15 offers. Some SEC programs that have offered him thus far are Georgia, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, and Tennessee. He currently stands at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, according to 247Sports. In all likelihood, the Alabama coaching staff will recruit Walker to play inside linebacker. He still has some time to develop physically, so that is probably the best opportunity for him to see playing time.

His recruitment will likely gain even more traction after he finishes up his sophomore season at Schley County High School. Alabama fans should keep an eye on Walker as he is one of the Tide’s top targets for the 2025 class.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Walker’s recruitment and other recruiting news involving Alabama football.