From Walk-On to Team Captain: Jordan Walker Anchors Defensive Line
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Rutgers Football has named its four captains for the upcoming 2025 season: quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, center Gus Zilinskas, linebacker Dariel Djabome, and defensive end Jordan Walker.
From Walk-On to Potential Star
For Walker, it's been quite the journey. The two-sport football/track-and-field athlete from Rochester, NY, walked onto the Scarlet Knights football team as a tight end during the 2022 season after showing promise at The Milford Academy, hauling in 17 receptions for 258 yards during his 2021 college prep season.
Walker did not see any action in 2022. In 2023, he made the switch to defensive lineman permanently, playing in five games, including the Scarlet Knights' 31-24 victory over Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.
A Physical Transformation
In 2024, Walker transformed into an impact player on the field, playing in all 13 games and tying for the team lead in sacks with four, on an injury-depleted defensive unit that was desperate for players who could get to the quarterback. He finished second on the team with seven tackles for loss. Most noteworthy in the 18-team Big Ten Conference full of pass-rushing stars, Walker was rated the 14th-best defensive end by Pro Football Focus.
Walker's most impactful play last season was a memorable one, coming against the Minnesota Golden Gophers last November. Trailing midway through the fourth quarter, Rutgers took a 21-16 lead on a four-yard touchdown pass from Kaliakmanis to Ian Strong. On Minnesota's subsequent possession, Gopher quarterback Max Brosmer dropped back to pass on third and long from his own endzone. Walker blew past the right tackle, demonstrating his power and speed, sacking Brosmer for a safety and essentially securing the win.
Walker came to Rutgers with a thin frame, evident of a track athlete, but put in the hard work to transform physically through the strength and conditioning program, adding 50 pounds and developing into an imposing defensive end at 6'4, 268 pounds.
"I just trust my strength coach... do what he tells me to do, do it the way they tell me to do it," Walker said when asked about his transformation last season.
Big Expectations for 2025
One only needs to look at former walk-on Hollin Pierce, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, to see the results when a player puts in the work with the Rutgers coaching staff. Walker, through dedication and hard work, now finds himself a veteran leader on a revamped defensive line that includes veteran pass-rushing transfers Eric O'Neill from James Madison and Bradley Weaver from Ohio.
With the additional support up front, Walker's play should continue to improve this season. Look for his sack total to increase and the Rutgers defense, overall, to once again be an imposing unit, led by the former walk-on.
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John Catapano graduated from Rutgers in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, covering the women’s field hockey and soccer teams for the campus paper, The Daily Targum. After college, he moved to Los Angeles, got a job at Walt Disney Television, and has worked in media ever since. John currently works with the Wasserman Media Group in their Brooklyn, NY office, collaborating with brands, influencers, and athletes across the globe. When the pandemic struck in 2020 and Catapano began working remotely, he resumed writing by contributing to a Rutgers fan blog. He covered various sports, highlighted human interest stories, and focused on topics that Scarlet Nation wanted to discuss. It’s never easy being a Rutgers fan, but with over 500,000 alumni living worldwide and a passionate fanbase, covering the Scarlet Knights is always engaging.