Deone Walker Tabbed True Freshman All-American by ESPN

Deone Walker has been a popular player this offseason. Kentucky’s talented defensive lineman has received all-conference and All-American honors from a variety of outlets. Add ESPN to his lengthy resume.

Wednesday afternoon ESPN rolled out its 2022 college football true freshman All-American team. As has been the case quote often, Deone Walker made the cut. ESPN recruiting contributors Tom Luginbill and Tom Vanhaaren each shared picks and they both agreed that the Wildcat must be included.

Walker wasn’t a big name in Kentucky’s class, ranked as a three-star out of Detroit. At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, he came ready to play, finishing with 40 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack and five quarterback hurries in 13 games.

ESPN‘s Tom VanHaaren

ESPN was the only major recruiting outlet that did not rank Walker as a four-star prospect. Walker was the No. 264 overall prospect and No. 31 defensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The enormous defensive lineman from Detroit’s Cass Tech made an impact as soon as he stepped foot in Lexington. After gobbling up a Florida running back for a loss on a crucial third down, he started in every game the rest of the season for the Wildcats. He saved his best for last, capping off the season against Louisville with six tackles, one-half quarterback sack, plus one-half additional tackle for loss. He also forced a fumble and had two quarterback hurries to earn SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Honors.

For those keeping tabs at home, Deone Walker now has Freshman All-American honors from ESPN, PFF, On3. He was selected to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team and earned Second Team All-SEC honors from the AP. The defensive lineman’s future is bright in Lexington.