Walter Nolen
No. 0
PositionDefensive tackle
ClassSophomore
Personal information
Born: (2003-10-14) October 14, 2003
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight285 lb (129 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolPowell (TN)
Career highlights and awards
  • USA Today Defensive Player of the Year (2021)

Walter Nolen (born October 14, 2003) is an American football defensive tackle for the Texas A&M Aggies. He was rated by ESPN and USA Today as the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 college football recruiting class.

Early years

Nolen played high school football at three different schools: Olive Branch High School in Olive Branch, Mississippi, as a freshman and sophomore; Saint Benedict at Auburndale in Memphis as a junior; and Powell High School in Powell, Tennessee, as a senior. He also enrolled for a time at IMG Academy but did not play there.[1] His coach at Powell, Matt Lowe, described him as "a young man who has been blessed with size, speed and athleticism."[2]

In his senior year at Powell, he had 93 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hurries, and 17 sacks.[3] He was rated by ESPN as the No. 1 football recruit in the 2022 recruiting class.[4] He was ranked No. 2 by Rivals.com and 247Sports, behind Travis Hunter.[3][5]

After his senior year, he was invited to play in the Under Armour All-America Game.[3] In July 2022, he was named Defensive Football Player of the Year by USA Today. He was also rated by USA Today as the country's No. 1 recruit for 2022.[6]

College career

Nolen received offers from numerous schools and narrowed his final five to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee.[1] In November 2021, Nolen committed to play college football for Texas A&M.[7] He later paid an official visit to Tennessee, raising speculation that his commitment was uncertain. He then signed his letter of intent with Texas A&M in December 2021.[8][9] He was part of a recruiting class at Texas A&M that was rated as the best in the history of recruiting rankings.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Khari Thompson (July 25, 2021). "Walter Nolen, nation's No. 1 defensive lineman, transfers from St. Benedict to Powell". Memphis Commercial Appeal.
  2. ↑ Douglas Clark (November 4, 2021). "High School Sports Awards: Meet Tennessee's Walter Nolen III, dominant defender and current No. 1 football recruit in the country". USA Today.
  3. 1 2 3 "Walter Nolen". Texas A&M University. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  4. ↑ "2022 ESPN 300". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  5. ↑ "2022 Top Football Recruits". 247 Sports. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ "All winners, USA Today High School Sports Awards: Cade Klubnik, Kiki Rice among recipients". USA Today. July 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ "No. 1 Defensive Recruit Walter Nolen Commits to Texas A&M Football". Sport Illustrated. November 6, 2021.
  8. ↑ Emily Adams (December 15, 2021). "Walter Nolen, No. 2 recruit in the nation, signs with Texas A&M on National Signing Day". The Knoxville News.
  9. ↑ "Top Defensive Recruit Walter Nolen Sticks with Texas A&M on Signing Day". Sports Illustrated. December 15, 2021.
  10. ↑ Perroni, Brian (May 23, 2022). "Late Kick: Texas A&M DT Walter Nolen a freaky true freshman to watch this season". 247sports.com. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
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