5-star LB Zayden Walker commits to Georgia: "It felt like home"
Since Georgia offered Zayden Walker early in his freshman year, there has been consistent communication between him and the Bulldogs. He grew close to Glenn Schumann, he visited Athens over a dozen times and the feeling he had on campus and around the people led him commit to the in-state school.
“It felt like home,” Walker told On3. “I made my decision to commit to Georgia over the weekend when I was on my official visit. I had been close to committing before, but that was the right time. My family was there, I knew that is where I wanted to go and I made my decision.”
Florida State was a strong contender early on for the five-star linebacker at Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County. Miami made a run last summer and into the fall, but in that end, Georgia held off South Carolina.
“My brother (Jalewis Solomon) is there, and it would have been nice to play with him again, but I had to make the best decision for me. Georgia is where I want to be. I had colleges pulling at me left and right the last few years, but Georgia is where I can be myself at. They will help me become the best version of me.
“I have been feeling it about Georgia for a long time. The time is right for me to commit and shut things down. I am committed to Georgia and done with recruiting.”
Walker believes in Glenn Schumann
Schumann and Walker have that old-school relationship in recruiting. There is so much more involved with recruiting now than there used to be, but with Schumann and Walker, it has that old-school feel.
“It is about my relationship with coach Schu,” Walker said. “I can talk to him about anything. I trust him. He is a great person, he is a great coach and we just have a real relationship.”
The trust is not only there off the field but also on it.
“Coach Schu develops linebackers. He has coached some great linebackers at Georgia and I know he can make me the best I can be. I know he is going to push me, coach me hard and make me as good of a football player as I can be.
“For me, Coach Schu was a big part of my commitment. The trust I have in him on and off the field is big.”
Georgia is home for Walker
The No. 24 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking has visited Georgia too many times to count. He knows it is over a dozen. From the beginning, it has felt like home for him.
“It is a different feeling at Georgia,” Walker said. “The people there make me very comfortable. From coach Schu to coach Kirby to the players – it just has that home feeling. My mom loves it, my family loves it and that home feeling was always there.
“I could say Georgia is my top school because of all of their wins, but there is much more than that for me. I look past all of the pros on the field and look at the little things. That set Georgia apart for me. Yes, they will make me the best version of me on the field, but they will take care of me off of it too. The people at Georgia make it home for me.”