On3 5-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen down to 3 schools

Five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen of Powell (Tenn.) High has shaken up his recruitment and narrowed his list to three schools.

Nolen said Texas A&M, Tennessee and Georgia were the schools that made the cut.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder announced a top five in early July. But this go around, a new school emerged and few were cut. Florida, Michigan and Alabama were removed from Nolen’s list. Texas A&M is now in contention for Nolen. He said recently that A&M was moving up his list, along with Florida and Tennessee, so the Gators’ absence is a new development.

BREAKING: Five-Star DL Walter Nolen is down to 3️⃣ Schools, he tells @On3Recruits⁣
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— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 25, 2021

Walter Nolen swayed by visit to College Station

“The whole coaching staff at A&M is awesome,” Walter Nolen said about adding the Aggies to his final list. “I’ve also known a lot of current players there since a little kid.”

Nolen said his visit to Texas A&M pushed the Aggies into contention.

“My visit there was awesome,” Nolen said. “I realized that I could be over there with my boys for at least two years, and I really like the current commits in A&M’s 2022 class. Bobby (Taylor), Malick (Sylla), and all those guys. It would be cool to play with them.”

Related story: On3 National Analyst Chad Simmons breaks down Nolen’s final three (On3+)

Tennessee coaches impress Nolen

“Tennessee is home,” Walter Nolen said about the Volunteers. “I feel like I can maximize myself with the new NIL stuff.

“I like coach (Rodney) Garner and what he’s been doing. I can see first-hand how he works with the D-Line at practice, and he’s getting them right.”

UGA coaches impress, too

“Georgia is cool,” Walter Nolen said about Georgia. “Like I said earlier, I have a lot of people there and it would be cool to be teammates with them. I really like the whole coaching staff.”

Scouting Walter Nolen

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said Nolen is one of the best in the 2022 class.

“Walter Nolen has a unique combination of size and athleticism at defensive tackle,” Power said. “This is a 6-foot-5, 280-pounder who can line up on the edge and beat top offensive tackles with a speed rush.

“Nolen has turned in some simply dominant camp performances over the summer. His ability to win as a pass rusher along with the potential to be a strong run defender makes him a rare commodity in a deep 2022 defensive line group.”