Summer Update: Jalon Walker
Jalen Walker is already a key piece of Georgia’s defense.
In two years with the program, Walker has flashed as both outside and inside linebacker for the Bulldogs, giving Kirby Smart one of his more versatile pieces on the entire team.
But many believe Walker has much more to offer and you’ll see that statistical jump take place this year.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Height: 6-2
Weight: 245
Class: Junior
Rivals Ranking: Bell was rated a four-star by Rivals with a 5.9 rating.
Status: Possible starter at inside linebacker
Impact thus far
Say one thing for Jalon Walker, he knows how to make his tackles count.
Of his 20 tackles last year for the Bulldogs, 14 were solo stops, with five of those going for a team-leading five sacks for losses of 39 yards.
Walker knows how to make plays.
Perhaps you recall the big sack for a loss of 13 yards against Florida or the two he had against Alabama in the SEC Championship?
Maybe you remember the blocked punt as a true freshman against Kent State which went for a safety.
His potential for plays like this was why Walker was voted to the Preseason All-SEC team during last year's SEC Media Days.
Although the final tackle numbers were not enough to garner postseason recognition, Walker's contributions to Georgia's defense cannot be undervalued, and there's every reason to expect him to have his best year yet come fall.
Quoting Kirby Smart
"He’s played a little bit of what we call Sam-Star. He played out in space. He did rush off the edge. He is still a really good edge rusher. He knows that was part of the development plan because he has seen Quay (Walker) do it. He has seen other football players in our program develop as an off-the-ball backer and an end-of-the-line linebacker. He does both of those things really well.”
Quoting Jalon Walker
“I wouldn’t call it a curse. I’d call it a blessing to do what I’m able to do. Not many players have that opportunity. It’s not something I take lightly. I appreciate it. Having versatility creates more opportunities for me to be on the field and gives more opportunities for other people as well. If there’s someone else in a certain package that can do this, I can go to the other one. It creates opportunities. It creates opportunities within any skill set, within any packages, so that’s great for me.”
What to look for in fall camp
Smart said it best in his comment above.
Walker is a unicorn in many respects, and come fall will continue to be trained like one.
Smart describes his position as a "Sam-Star," because Walker is one of those few players who can play in space as well as they rush the passer.
He can certainly do that.
From what we understand, Walker has followed up a solid spring with an excellent early part to the summer and is expected to take another step forward this fall.
Keeping up with how defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann employs Walker up will be one of the fall's more intriguing stories.
Don't be surprised to see that sack total rise even more.