It’s a 5-star celebration in Athens. Five-star linebacker Zayden Walker has committed to Georgia, he tells Dawgs247. The Schley County (Ga.) star chose the Bulldogs coming off his official visit. Walker, the No. 2 linebacker in the country on 247Sports, is the first public commitment to come out of the big weekend in Athens. Walker’s commitment has a significant effect on Georgia’s recruiting team ranking. The Bulldogs reach 10 commitments in the class and jump up six spots to No. 9 in the 247Sports Class of 2025 rankings, slotting in between Alabama and Penn State. For Walker, his Georgia decision has been a long time coming.
“Because they check every box. Getting me to the next level, making me the best I can be on and off-the-field. Great head coach, good winning program. They really check every box,” Walker told Dawgs247. “So it’s more of a ‘Why not?’ type of deal with Georgia.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker has been one of Georgia’s primary targets for several years now. Walker has visited Georgia at every turn, and he hasn’t hidden his love for Georgia along the way. His relationship with Georgia linebacker coach Glenn Schumann played a key role in his decision. Walker has said repeatedly in conversations with Dawgs247 that the environment is different at Georgia, and it’s obvious.
“Definitely when I went early on, from when I go to other schools, it just feels different,” he said. “From a recruiting standpoint, it’s just a different type of feel at Georgia, how all the linebackers are running around. Going to other practices, there’s walking. It might sound crazy, but it’s different at Georgia.”
Before the Wednesday commitment, Walker was in close contact with several other players in Georgia’s 2025 class. Mason Short and Walker have grown close during the process. He, of course, named Ethan Barbour as someone who has recruited him heavily recently. Interestingly, he said Michael Uini is someone he’s gotten close with who’s texted him about joining the Bulldogs.
Ultimately, the bond with the other linebackers in the class made the biggest difference.
“Raylen [Wilson], CJ [Allen], we talk a lot. They definitely say to come in to work. The linebacker room is going to be filled by a lot of people like you so you might as well get that image in your head that you’re coming in to work,” he said. “Raylen is down from where I’m from. Having a lot of 1-on-1 time with him, I asked him, ‘Did it feel impossible when you first got there?’ He said, ‘It’s definitely possible. I know how you feel because I felt the same way.’ It’s big shoes to step in, but it’s really just work, put your head down, and your time will come.”
