Jalon Walker

 

Staff report

ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia junior Jalon Walker, former Salisbury High standout, has been named the college winner of the Butkus Award that goes to the nation’s top linebacker.

Butkus Awards also are given for high school and the NFL.

Walker’s family, which includes former Catawba College head football coach, Curtis, his father, was notified earlier this week, so they were able to make the drive down to Athens, Ga.,  for the ceremony. Dick Butkus’ son, Matt, made the trip to Athens to present the award.

Walker was a two-time Rowan County Defensive Player of the Year for football as well a Rowan County Athlete of the Year. He also competed in basketball and track and field in high school.

Walker becomes the third Georgia linebacker under coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, who coaches the inside linebackers, to win the Butkus.

“He’s an unbelievable kid, believes in his thoughts and processes,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “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.”

Roquan Smith won the award in 2017, while Nakobe Dean won it in 2021.

Walker (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) has 57 tackles this season, including 10.5 tackles for loss. He has 6.5 sacks and a whopping 35 quarterback pressures.

He had a monumental game with three sacks against Texas when the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 nationally.

Walker is versatile and can be used as an edge rusher or as a conventional linebacker. Long, strong and flexible, he is is considered a likely first-round draft pick.

“It would be hard measured to say what Jalon’s greatest attribute is because it could be his character, it could be his ability to run, his ability to strike people and be violent and flip a switch on the field,” Smart said. “He’s elite in all those things. This kid is a very, very special person on and off the field. But he’s also very talented. So I’m honored and happy for him. He deserves this.”

The other finalists for the college Butkus this year were Clemson’s Barrett Carter, Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr., UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger and Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman.

Georgia finished the regular season 11-2 and is scheduled to play in a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (8:45 p.m., ESPN). Georgia will face the winner of the first-round matchup between Indiana and Notre Dame.