5-star Walter Nolen set to visit Texas A&M for third time this weekend

Will the third time be the charm for the Texas A&M Aggies and five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen?

Nolen, the star defender from Powell (Tenn.) High, will be in College Station this weekend for the third time since July. It’ll also be his second visit for a game this season.

The earlier visit for a game was for Texas A&M’s victory over then No. 1 Alabama. It was a visit that left a lasting impression, according to Nolen’s father.

“The environment and atmosphere even before the win was spectacular,” Walter Nolen’s father, also named Walter, told 247Sports’s Steve Wiltfong. “I’m sure it helped their recruitment of him.”

Walter Nolen was also on campus at Texas A&M in late July, and ever since then the Aggies have been surging in his recruitment.

Everyone is ‘chasing’ A&M to land Walter Nolen

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons believes the Aggies are the team to beat for Walter Nolen. Simmons thought that even before the impressive visit to College Station for the Alabama game.

“Based on the info I’m getting right now, the Aggies are likely the school everyone else is chasing,” Simmons said.

“I think the main schools involved are Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee. He still lists Georgia in his top three. Unless he trips again to Athens, the Bulldogs, I think, are on the outside looking in. He did go to Florida for the Alabama game, took an official to Florida in June. The Gators can’t be ruled out. But again, it’s Texas A&M, Tennessee, Alabama — I think in that order.”

After Texas A&M this weekend, an official visit to Alabama on Nov. 6 is the next visit on the calendar. That will be the fourth official visit, so only one will be left. That is expected to go to Tennessee, but no date has been set.

Tennessee draws high praise

Make no mistake, Tennessee is a strong contender for Walter Nolen. That was made abundantly clear after a visit to Knoxville last weekend.

Nolen’s unofficial visit to check out the Vols and the first game day at Neyland Stadium did not disappoint.

“We have visited [as a family] Tennessee three times, but this was our first game,” said Walter’s father. “We have been to some big games, and a lot of places, but Tennessee is up there.

“The game-day experience at Tennessee is something we loved. The fans were great, it was loud, and it was truly something to see. It was even better than we expected it to be.”

It wasn’t just the passion inside the stadium that stood out to the Nolen’s. Before the game, Nolen, his wife, and Warren, a 2025 offensive line recruit with major offers, were walking around, and they found the Vol Walk. That may have been the highlight of this visit.