5-star LB Zayden Walker locks in South Carolina official visit

Top programs are pushing hard for Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County five-star linebacker Zayden Walker — and for good reason.

The top-ranked LB in the 2025 cycle is one of the most impressive prospects in the nation and is continuing to work through his recruitment. He’s now locked in an official visit to South Carolina from June 21-23, he tells On3’s Chad Simmons.

The 6-foot-1.5, 225-pounder was in Columbia earlier this month for a Junior Day visit — his latest with the Gamecocks. Walker’s brother, four-star athlete Jalewis Solomon, signed with South Carolina in December as a part of the 2024 class.

Walker is the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 LB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 4 player in Georgia.

Georgia, Florida State and Miami have also had Walker on campus so far this year. The in-state Bulldogs currently lead for his pledge, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Back in November, Walker named a top six schools, consisting of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, FSU, Penn State and Miami.

“The relationships were big,” Walker told Simmons of his top schools in November. “How the schools recruited me and made me feel wanted also factored in. My visits were important also.”

“I don’t really want to put a date on my commitment because I will just do it when I feel I am ready,” he added. “I am looking into everything a school has to offer because it has to be a great fit for me on and off the field.”

Walker has an On3 NIL Valuation of $313K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.