Elite DL John Walker Planning to Officially Visit Florida Gators

The Florida Gators are making headway on the recruitment of 2023 DL John Walker out of Osceola (Fla). He shared with AllGators what stood out about Florida, and more.

Photo: John Walker; Credit: Zach Goodall

For the Florida Gators, scouting players within the state has quickly become a priority under head coach Billy Napier. The up-start HC has invested heavily in a recruiting staff that has targeted multiple levels of the state, from the north to the south and centrally, too.

Quickly, the team is beginning to lay the bedrock for more control over the state and that won't stop with the program's recruitment of defensive lineman John Walker out of Osceola (Kissimmee, Fla). The 6-foot-3, 310-pound big man has already visited the program several times over the past calendar year, including three times since Napier was hired. 

Simply put, the interest seems to be palpable from both sides, including Walker and his primary recruiter at Florida, co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Sean 'Chaos' Spencer.

AllGators analysts Zach Goodall and Brandon Carroll took to the road on Thursday, visiting Walker's high school, Osceola, to watch the team's spring scrimmage and catch up with Walker and his teammates, fellow Gators DL target Derrick LeBlanc and fast-rising cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson.  

In speaking with him following the practice, Walker continued to speak highly of the Florida program, indicating that he intends to officially visit the program in the future.

"I'm probably gonna just do my officials," Walker told AllGators about his plans for upcoming visits. "Florida is gonna be during the season.

"It was a good visit, had a good time talking with Coach Spence, and the whole staff," Walker continued, discussing his recent trips to the university. "We just had a great time with them. And, you know, it was a good vibe from them."

Walker also is looking to officially visit several other programs, including Ohio State, UCF, Michigan and USC. He plans to make his decision about where he will opt to play college football after his official visits, indicating that he is not in any rush.

During the scrimmage, it was clear to see what Florida might see in the young defensive lineman. He possesses the size, speed and power to take on the next level of football, becoming one of the more intriguing recruits the program has sought after on the interior of its defense.

"He's as good as advertised," Osceola head coach Eric Pinellas shared with AllGators.

DL John Walker (#55, @Johnwal60517678) is a certified game-wrecker. pic.twitter.com/qW6t4xV3ll

— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) May 12, 2022

Those are some of the traits that coach Spencer has seen in Walker, at least what he told the young defender during his visits to the university.

"He likes me playing the three [technique], the two [technique], the one [technique]. And he said I'm really explosive. I use my hands very well," Walker recalled of what Spencer had told him. "His energy is up there. When we watch film, he always has energy. And his energy never changed." 

Walker was asked about the other coaches that he would be dealing with if he came to Florida, too. Both co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney, who will be calling the defensive plays, along with head coach Billy Napier will be hugely important to his recruitment. 

"He has a strategy. He seems like he knows who he's talking about. And I can't wait to watch their defense in the season," Walker said of Toney.

"The vibe is really cool with him," he continued about Napier. "He's a really cool guy laid back, dude. He just wants to get his team straight. And when it's time to play, he's on that. He's disciplined and he has a plan."

The Gators will certainly want to see more of Walker as he continues through his senior season. But, it's safe to say that the defensive lineman is more than interested in the program and could be a good fit for a team that is in desperate need of a rebuild on its defensive line in the coming years.

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