ATHENS — Another Georgia Bulldog has won the Butkus Award, with Jalon Walker taking home the 2024 honor.
Walker becomes the third Georgia player to win the award — given to the nation’s top linebacker. He joins Nakobe Dean, who won in 2021, and Roquan Smith, who earned it in 2017. All three players were coached by Kirby Smart and linebackers coach Glenn Schumann.
Walker is a junior and led the Bulldogs in tackles for loss with 10.5 and tied for the lead in sacks with 6.5. Walker also has 57 tackles.
Georgia uses Walker in a variety of roles, playing him as an off-ball linebacker, edge rusher and even occasionally as star/nickelback. In addition to filling a variety of roles, Walker is a key leader.
“He’s an unbelievable kid, Christian, believes in his thoughts and processes,” Smart said of Walker when he was named a finalist for the award prior to Georgia’s game against Georgia Tech. “And he was raised in a wonderful family where he has a lot of confidence in himself to stand up, talk to the team, command leadership, demand respect, do things the hard way, and set a standard the right way.
“I mean, he is a great young man. I would be hard measured to say what his greatest attribute is, because his could be character. His could be the ability to run, the ability to strike people and be violent and hit and flip a switch on the field. But he’s elite in all those things. This kid is a very, very special person on and off the field first. But he’s also very talented. So I’m very honored and happy for him, he deserves that.”
Walker signed with Georgia as a member of the 2022 signing class out of Salisbury, N.C.
Walker’s best game came against Texas in the regular season, when he picked up 3.0 sacks in the 30-15 win. In the SEC Championship game, Walker added another sack and 3.0 tackles for loss.
Walker was also named second-team All-SEC for his play this season and is expected to be a top draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft, despite only being a junior.
Because of the play and leadership of Walker, Georgia won the SEC Championship this season. The Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and will take on the winner of the Notre Dame and Indiana game in the Sugar Bowl.
It’s worth noting that Georgia got to the national championship game in Smith’s Butkus-winning season and won the national championship when Dean took home the award in 2021.
