On Sunday evening, the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports Composite player rankings, will be announcing commitment. The No. 4 linebacker in the cycle will be one of the first big dominos in the state to fall amongst the Tar Heels’ major targets.
Walker, the No. 50 overall prospect in the 2022 class, will announce his commitment to one of his final six schools on CBS Sports HQ at 2:15 PM. The Tar Heels will be one of Walker’s six finalists that he will be choosing from, a prestigious list that sees the Tar Heels joined by the likes of Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Auburn.
While he hasn’t narrowed his list down anymore since releasing that list, this is now seen as a three horse race for his commitment. Clemson has been the longtime favorite for Walker since his recruitment really took off last spring and for good reason. The Tigers charge has been led by defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who has been the primary recruiter for Walker since the beginning. The Tar Heels have been attempting to make a push as they look to continue the quest to build the recruiting fence around the state of North Carolina. The good news for the Tar Heels is that Walker was in attendance for a game in Kenan this past season and has some familiarity with the campus from past years. However, as of right now, it doesn’t seem like the Tar Heels are the biggest threat to the Tigers. That distinction goes to the Georgia Bulldogs, who are the team that has made the biggest push in the last couple of months in this recruitment. Behind the push of Glenn Schumann and Dan Lanning, the Bulldogs have made this a neck-and-neck race between those two coming to the finish it would appear.
The crystal ball predictions have taken dramatic turns in the past week, as the majority of the predictions have shifted from Clemson to Georgia. The last five predictions on 247Sports have not been in favor of the Bulldogs, including one from Clemson insider Anna Hickey, who is the most recent person to cast a prediction on the website. Rivals has produced some similar predictions as of late, with each of their last three predictions going the way of the Bulldogs, as well. While there is still a chance that the Tigers hold on to him, it seems more likely than not that he will be wearing a Bulldog hat tomorrow afternoon.
The good news for the Tar Heels is that the linebacker position is an area that they have been able to build some depth at and they are scheduled to lose just one player following the 2021 season. The Tar Heels also are in good standing with a couple of other major targets in the 2022 cycle, as they appear to have strong relationships with in-state linebackers Xavier Simmons and Albert Redd at the moment.
Prediction: Georgia