AUSTIN, Texas — Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker introduced himself to the nation Saturday.
Bulldogs faithful already were well aware of Walker, someone who was a sweet recruiting victory who’s turned into a defensive menace. Georgia uses Walker as an inside linebacker and edge rusher. He’s a defensive coordinator’s dream, deployable however needed while maintaining the same level of effort and ferocity. Compare him with Micah Parsons, compare him with Dont’a Hightower. It fits.
But Walker has never looked like he did Saturday against the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns. He was the best player in a game rich with future professionals. The Bulldogs upset Texas 30-15, and Walker’s impact was felt throughout the night.
Georgia limited Texas to 38 first-half yards, sacking the Longhorns five times with seven tackles for loss. The dialogue centered on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was benched temporarily, and the amount of future earnings he lost with his performance.
More attention should be on the money Walker probably made. He flew around the field, showing tremendous closing speed and exhibiting just how valuable that versatility is. Walker became the first player with three sacks and seven tackles against a No. 1 opponent in the past two decades, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
He achieved those totals in the first half. Overall, he had eight tackles, three sacks and four quarterback hits. His production was timely as well.
Walker pressured Ewers on third-and-9 in the first quarter, leading to a punt. He sacked Ewers at the 2-yard line in the second quarter, which helped give Georgia excellent field position after a punt (leading to a 10-0 advantage). Later in the quarter, Walker found Ewers for another third-down sack.
Texas switched from Ewers to Arch Manning, hoping to find a spark down 20-0. Manning had a 21-yard completion to open his second drive, and the Longhorns drove to the Georgia 48. Walker showed his speed and sacked Manning for a loss of 11 yards. Manning was sacked again on the ensuing play and fumbled. Walker recovered the ball.
Asked if this was his best game, Walker said: “Statistically, maybe. But I felt like there’s a lot more I could’ve done, contributed to, that I felt like I slipped on.”
That’s the type of attitude that’s endeared him to coach Kirby Smart and his teammates. Walker lacks the buzz that’s surrounded other illustrious Georgia defenders such as Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Nakobe Dean. He hasn’t even generated the most talk on his own unit. That distinction belongs to safety Malaki Starks and edge rusher Mychel Williams, both deemed surefire first-round selections next spring.
Walker is firmly in that conversation, too. But his value to the program, from the intangibles to his wide-ranging on-field abilities, should be appreciated more across the landscape. He embodies what Smart wants his players to be. He helped lead a defense that had been criticized lately fulfill its potential Saturday in grand fashion.
“He’s such a high-character kid, high moral value, great family,” Smart said of Walker. “You think back to all those wins you get in recruiting and how you really don’t know how important they are. I think back to when he called us and told us he was coming. What that changed his life towards and what it changed for us. His dad reached out the other day and said, ‘Kirby, y’all have done everything you said you were going to do with my son, and I really appreciate you making him a better man.’”
About the Author
