ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia football landed its first commit of the summer.
Five-star linebacker Zayden Walker announced his commitment to the University of Georgia on Wednesday afternoon. He confirmed his announcement on his personal X, formerly Twitter, account.
Walker, the consensus No. 1 linebacker in the 2025 class, chose the Bulldogs over teams like South Carolina, Florida State and Miami. He had plans to visit other schools, however, after a visit to Athens over the weekend, Walker has shut his recruitment down.
“It felt like home,” Walker told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I made my decision to commit to Georgia over the weekend when I was on my official visit. I had been close to committing before, but that was the right time. My family was there, I knew that is where I wanted to go and I made my decision.”
Walker’s brother Jalewis Solomon currently plays for the Seminoles, making Georgia’s 2023 Orange Bowl opponent a contender for the Ellaville, Georgia native.
However, the Bulldogs’ relentlessness and history of development was too much for Walker to pass up.
“I could say Georgia is my top school because of all of their wins, but there is much more than that for me,” Walker said. “I look past all of the pros on the field and look at the little things. That set Georgia apart for me. Yes, they will make me the best version of me on the field, but they will take care of me off of it too. The people at Georgia make it home for me.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound inside linebacker is the No. 1 overall linebacker in his class, the fifth best player in the state of Georgia and the 24th best player in the 2025 recruiting class.
As a junior at Schley County High School, Walker had 40 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries per MaxPreps. He also played running back for the Wildcats last season, and carried the ball 77 times for 518 yards and 13 TD on offense while also catching 10 passes for 169 yards and four touchdowns.
Walker possesses tremendous athleticism at the linebacker position, which is extended by his ability to be an impactful player on both sides of the ball. He’s spent time at both inside and outside linebacker, meaning he’s had to stop the run and rush the passer — he’s shown great ability at both.
Walker has similarities to current Bulldog linebacker Jalon Walker (no relation), who plays outside and inside linebacker like Zayden Walker has in high school. As such, he could spend time at multiple positions when he joins the team following the 2024 season.
According to On3’s Industry Rankings, Walker is the 10th commit in Georgia’s 2025 class, the fourth defensive player currently in the class and the second highest rated player in the class — right behind fellow five-star tight end Eyliss Williams. He is also the second linebacker to commit to the class alongside Buford’s Jadon Perlotte.
In 2025, he will likely join a linebacker unit headlined by current sophomores CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson, as well as 2024 five-stars Justin Williams and Chris Cole. He will also have an opportunity to work with linebacker’s coach Glenn Schumann, who Walker says he has a tremendous relationship with.
As a five star, Walker had plenty of team’s interested in him. Yet, the Georgia native knew that staying home is where he wants to be.
“Georgia is where I want to be,” Walker said. “I had colleges pulling at me left and right the last few years, but Georgia is where I can be myself at. They will help me become the best version of me. I have been feeling it about Georgia for a long time. The time is right for me to commit and shut things down. I am committed to Georgia and done with recruiting.”