The Nation's Best Interior DL, John Walker, Talks Recruiting After Under Armour

Osceola High School defensive tackle John Walker breaks down his recruitment.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Feb 21, 2022 11:37 AM EST

MIAMI - It’s been a hotly contested recruitment for John Walker. The 6’4”, 295-pound defensive tackle from Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola has been a national recruit since being a 300-plus-pound ninth grader. He’s redefined his body to be more explosive. Further, he’s learned hand placement for pass rushing purposes, and he’s just so strong that few high school offensive linemen can handle Walker one-on-one.

He’s learning about various coaches after they switched schools, plus has some really good relationships with some other coaches. All in all, Walker’s recruitment is full of variables. Here’s what he had to say at the Under Armour Miami Combine.

Regarding UF and Head Coach Billy Napier:

“I really like the staff,” Walker said. “They keep it real with me. We broke down some film. I like how he was coaching. I like how he was explaining things. You know, I just want to get to know more things about Florida.

Note: Walker was discussing new Florida Defensive Line Coach Sean Spencer.

As a staff, the Gators are in communication with Walker quite a bit. “We talk like once a week. They really like me a lot. They say I’m like No. 1 on the defensive line.”

Recruiting the hardest:

“Every school,” Walker said with a smile. “I don’t know. I’ll say Ohio State, UCF, Florida, Nebraska, just every school you can think of. Oregon, USC, Alabama, all the big schools, Michigan, all of them.”

Official visits:

“My next step is official visits. June or July. I’d say USC, Michigan and Ohio State (for official visits are most likely).

USC - “It’s in California. Nice weather. I like the new (Defensive Line) Coach, (Shaun Nua). He came to my school. We were talking about family and everything. I liked what he was saying. Everything is not just about football, and I like things like that. He was pretty cool. I just want to get to know more things about him.”

Michigan - “I like the (Defensive Line Coach), the one that came from Notre Dame, (Mike Elston). I like him a lot. He’s really cool. He’s the type of coach that talks about family, too. He was talking ball, I like that, too. I was asking him some questions and I liked how he was explaining things to me. That’s what I like about Michigan.”

Here's a Walker video with him doing a rep during Under Armour:

Ohio State - “Ohio State, (Defensive Line) Coach (Larry) Johnson, (Head Coach Ryan) Day, they treat me like family. They text me everyday. See how I’m doing in school, things like that. Coach Johnson, we talk about ball. I like how we talk about ball, too. And I like how he fits me into his defensive line.”

As for where his recruitment stands, Walker is not close to narrowing it down.

“Right now…I’m open. I’m open right now.”

Decision timeframe?

“Whenever I feel like I’m ready. I don’t really have a time (to decide on a college).”

Final Thoughts

Walker is taking his time. He’s not rushing a decision. Further, he wants to feel comfortable with the defensive line coach at every school he considers. His recruitment could end at any point but the best bet has him making a decision later on in 2022. He’s such a talented prospect, he’s worth the wait for the lucky program that signs him.

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