Top linebacker recruit in Georgia set to commit after final run of visits to major college football programs
Some of the best football players are just recognizably different from a very early age. That's been the case with top five star linebacker recruit Zayden Walker for several years now. A three-sport athlete who plays football, basketball, and runs track, Walker has been rated as a Top 25 football recruit in the 2025 class […]
Some of the best football players are just recognizably different from a very early age. That's been the case with top five star linebacker recruit Zayden Walker for several years now. A three-sport athlete who plays football, basketball, and runs track, Walker has been rated as a Top 25 football recruit in the 2025 class for nearly two years now. And the hype surrounding him is still growing.
This week, all the major recruiting services released their updated five star rankings and Walker is even higher by consensus (as high as 10th in the nation). But which school will actually win the Walker sweepstakes? It seems like it's down to just a handful of major football programs, and we're going to be getting our answer here soon.
Schools in the mix for Zayden Walker
Walker now has about 30 FBS scholarship offers, but based on his comments, visits, and recruiting journey it's likely down to four schools: Georgia, Penn State, Miami, and South Carolina. He's also taken at least four visits to Alabama, Florida, and Florida State, but things have cooled with those schools for the most part.
The significant favorite in this recruiting battle looks like it's Georgia. He's been in connection with head coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann for multiple years now, has visited with the staff nearly 10 times, and just connected with both of them again last week as you can see in his post below.
It also doesn't hurt Georgia's case that they continue to have one of the most stacked linebacker rooms in the nation. And not just that, they also recently seem to specializing in hybrid off-ball and pass rusher types (like Jalon Walker) who fit the perfect Zayden Walker mold. Walker's split time rushing the passer off the edge, playing in coverage, and stuffing the run at off-ball linebacker as well, so he looks like the ideal fit for how the Bulldogs utilize the position.
Beyond Georgia, South Carolina has an easy leg up with him thanks to his brother Jawlewis Solomon who just joined the Gamecocks' roster in the 2024 recruiting class. Shane Beamer has made it clear there will be an immediate opportunity to plug and play for him there as well.
Miami (FL) and Penn State have both also been tied to him for quite some time, but the notable relationship between he and the Hurricanes' linebackers coach Derek Nicholson throughout his recruitment might give them an edge for third in the running.
Zayden Walker Recruiting Commitment Timeline
Not many recruits lay things out as clearly and strategically as Zayden Walker has with his recruiting timeline, but thanks to that we already have some clarity heading into the summer now. Walker will be committing on July 5th immediately following a month's long journey to all his top schools.
He'll be officially visiting Georgia May 31st, Penn State June 7th, Miami on June 14th, then wraps things up at South Carolina on the 21st. He may still have room for one final official in there, but no announcement has been made to date. We'll be back here with more coverage on one of the most talented linebackers in the last few years as more news is revealed.
Be looking for more College Football coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to watch some Zayden Walker highlights to see how he might fit with your favorite college football program you can check out the video below!
