Walter Nolen, the No. 1 overall player in transfer portal, commits to Ole Miss
Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin and The Grove Collective are on an unprecedented run right now. And this run got even more unprecedented when Texas A&M Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Walter Nolen announced his commitment to Ole Miss a week after his official visit to Oxford.
This is on the heels of the Rebels adding four-stars Florida EDGE Princely Umanmielen, Tennessee EDGE Tyler Baron, Oklahoma safety Key Lawrence, Tennessee safety Tamarion McDonald and South Carolina wide receiver Juice Wells.
The talented prospect, who originally started his high school career at Olive Branch (Miss.), spent two seasons in College Station, appearing in 22 games for the Aggies. He recorded 66 tackles, 11.0 tackles for a loss, 5.0 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass defended.
Nolen checks in as the No. 1 ranked player in the On3 Industry Rankings for transfers.
Walter Nolen was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class.
He was the top-ranked defensive lineman and the top player in the state of Tennessee, finishing his prep career at Powell (Tenn.) after a year at the aforementioned north Mississippi school then St. Benedict at Auburndale in nearby Cordova, Tenn.
As a senior he recorded 93 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. He helped Powell to a 13-2 record and the 5A state championship in 2021.
On3’s Charles Power was a big fan of his coming out of high school.
“Large-framed interior defensive lineman with rare movement skills and athleticism at over 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds. Has continued to add size, growing over an inch and adding 40 pounds from his junior to senior years,” Power said. “Among the more athletic nose tackle prospects in several cycles. A truly dominant prospect in camp settings.
“Proved unblockable against top offensive linemen at Under Armour’s Future 50 camp prior to his senior season. Has top notch first-step quickness with the ability to translate speed to power as an interior pass rusher,” Power said. “Pairs his considerable quickness with violent hands and upper body strength at the point of attack. Already has some pass rush moves in his repertoire aside from a bull rush.
“Closes quickly and is capable of tracking offensive skill players in pursuit. Putting together a strong senior campaign after transferring to Powell High School in east Tennessee,” Power said. “Projects as a nose tackle with the ability to push the pocket in addition to rushing the passer.”
