2022 Defensive Tackle Walter Nolen Trims List to Eight, LSU Football Makes the Cut

Walter Nolen is arguably the top defensive player in the 2022 recruiting class and he seems to be narrowing focus on a decision. On Friday, Nolen dropped a top eight that included LSU on the list.

In addition to the Tigers, Nolen will be deciding between Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, USC and Tennessee. The Tigers currently have 11 commits, the most recent being Edna Karr defensive tackle Tygee Hill, the only defensive linemen to join the class thus far.

"It is just the relationship I have been building with Coach O, and I have been steadily building on it," Nolen told SI All-American. "It is just one of my better ones. They have been just saying other schools want you, but we need you and stuff like that."

While the purple and gold do have some youn interior linemen that are in the program in Maason Smith, Jaquelin Roy and Jacobian Guillory, but the team will be losing seniors Glen Logan and Neil Farrell after the 2021 season.

On the field, Nolen’s natural quickness combined with his bend and his lower body power are the strengths in his game. Just about everything he does is capitalized by Nolen’s ability to stay low, play fast, and overtake the offensive lineman right after the snap of the football.

Whether it’s a hand swipe or bull rush, Nolen does well. He’s even created a move that’s a stutter step to the inside with a rip move thereafter. Once Nolen can consistently add other moves such as a speed chop or push-pull-swim, a favorite for NFL All-Pro Von Miller, there’s really no telling just how good Nolen can become.

Nolen actually has some ties to LSU. He played with current LSU offensive lineman Xavier Hill in Olive Branch, Mississippi and was told by Hill just how enjoyable he's found the Tigers' program.

"He says it's a great environment to be in and basically just telling me that LSU isn't like a normal home stadium or fan base," Nolen told LSUCountry last May. "They get pretty rowdy. Playing ball at LSU with Xavier would be a great experience, if nothing else then to have a familiar face in the locker room."