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2022 Tennessee Defensive Tackle Walter Nolen Includes Ohio State Among Top Schools

The Buckeyes are firmly in the race for the nation’s top-rated defender.

Staff Writer

2022 Tennessee Defensive Tackle Walter Nolen Includes Ohio State Among Top Schools
2022 Tennessee Defensive Tackle Walter Nolen Includes Ohio State Among Top Schools /

Cordova (Tenn.) St. Benedict at Auburndale five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen included Ohio State in his top eight on Friday morning alongside Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oregon and USC.

The 6-foot-4 and 300-pound Nolen is considered the top-rated defensive tackle and No. 2 prospect overall in the class of 2022, trailing only five-star quarterback pledge Quinn Ewers. He landed an offer from the Buckeyes during a virtual visit in November and has been building a relationship with head coach Ryan Day, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and defensive graduate assistant Lorenzo Jackson ever since.

“Just talking to coach Day and Coach Johnson, it has been one of my better (relationships),” Nolen told SI All-American when asked why Ohio State made the cut. “Just watching some of the guys in my class commit, I feel like it would be one of the best opportunities for me to team up with some of the people I would like to play with.”

Nolen has never been to campus but is considering setting up an official visit with the Buckeyes, in addition to scheduled trips to Florida on June 4-6 and Michigan on June 18-20. There’s plenty of time for that to happen, too, as he doesn’t plan to make his college decision until the New Year, presumably at the All-American Bowl or Under Armour All-America Game.

If it can land Nolen, Ohio State would become just the fourth school to sign the nation’s top-rated player on both sides of the ball, joining Texas in quarterback Vince Young and defensive tackle Rodrique Wright in 2002; Ole Miss in offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive end Robert Nkemdiche in 2013; and Clemson in quarterback Trevor Lawrence and defensive end Xavier Thomas in 2018. No team has ever signed the No. 1 and No. 2 overall players, however.

The Buckeyes are still looking for their first commitment at defensive tackle, though they plan to take two or three players at the position this cycle. Other targets include Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley five-star Travis Shaw; Columbus (Ga.) Hardaway four-star Mykel Williams; Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star defensive tackle Dominick James; Greenwood (Ind.) Center Grove four-star Caden Curry; Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove four-star Christen Miller; North Kansas City, Mo., four-star Domonique Orange; and Owasso, Okla., three-star Chris McClellan.

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