High School

From Friday nights to NFL Draft night, Jalon Walker is selected No. 1 by the Atlanta Falcons

Jalon Walker’s path from prep standout to one of the most feared defenders in college football has him on the brink of NFL stardom

Levi Payton

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Jalon Walker was a dawg long before he committed to Georgia. And now, he will begin his NFL career in the home of the Dawgs, as he was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, at No. 15 overall, by the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday night in Green Bay.

The son of former Division II All-American linebacker and longtime college head coach Curtis Walker, Jalon grew up with football in his blood. By the time he got to high school, it was already clear he wasn’t just another kid who played the game - he understood it.

It helped that he was also really good at it.

"I got the opportunity to be around football a lot," Walker told ESPN. "Being on the sideline, being at his games, being in the locker room, being at his practice. It was a great opportunity for me to learn football in a different way, from a different point of view."

Born in South Carolina, Walker starred at Salisbury High School in North Carolina, where he became one of the most dominant defenders in the state. He played both sides of the ball as a linebacker and tight end, ran track, and even played basketball. But it was on the football field where he built his legacy.

As a junior in the 2020-2021 season – the COVID year – Walker helped lead the Hornets to an NCHSAA Class 2AA state championship. In the title game, he hauled in a touchdown and made 12 tackles. That year, the defense allowed just 110 points all season, an average of 10 per game. The Hornets finished 9-2 and capped it with a 42-14 win over St. Pauls in the state final.

That same year, Walker was named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year and was a finalist for the High School Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top prep linebacker. He finished the season with 97 tackles, 19 for loss, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries.

As a senior, Walker and the Hornets didn’t repeat as state champs, but the defense was even better. Salisbury went 11-1 and gave up just 68 points all season – an average of 5.67 per game. He finished with 39 tackles and was named Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year. He also earned a spot in the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game.

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By then, college coaches had long since taken notice. A consensus four-star recruit, Walker was ranked among the top three linebackers in the nation and the No. 2 overall player in North Carolina by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.

Jalon Walker: Georgia Bulldogs football
Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Silas Bolden (11) makes a catch against Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

He signed with Georgia, and while he didn’t start until his junior season, he made his presence known. In 2024, he became a starter for the Bulldogs and went on to win the Butkus Award as the nation’s top collegiate linebacker and was named First Team All-American by Sports Illustrated, USA Today, AFCA and ESPN.

He finished his Georgia career with 89 tackles, 18 for loss, and 12.5 sacks.

Now, he’s expected to be a first round, and possibly top 10 pick, in this week’s NFL Draft.

Once that call comes, he'll be the third football player from Salisbury high to make it to the NFL, joining Keion Adams (2017 Pittsburgh Steelers seventh-round pick) and Romar Morris (2016 New York Jets undrafted free agent).

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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