Ole Miss’ Zamari Walton glad his final college season is in the SEC
Ole Miss senior Cornerback Zamari Walton has played a lot of football in his collegiate career.
An awful lot of football.
You see, 2023 is his sixth college season and he has nearly 40 starts under his belt at his former school, Georgia Tech of the ACC. Had it not been for injury one year, he would most likely have 44 starts.
Most players with that many starts in college are moving on to the next level of football or going out in the world looking for employment, but because of COVID and the use of a redshirt year prior to COVID, Zamari got a sixth year, a year that he wanted to test his skills in the Southeastern Conference.
Final stop – Ole Miss.
To say he is a mature performer would be an understatement of great proportion. At 6-3 185 pounds, Zamari has the look of a veteran and a man, with all the “boy” left behind in Atlanta. His physique is defined and a finished product.
And he is ready to rock and roll in his final campaign in the Red & Blue.
“Ole Miss is a great change for me. When I thought of transferring, I thought of the challenge of the SEC first,” Walton said this week. “Ole Miss lost a lot of guys on defense, so I knew there would be an opportunity to play.
“I knew there would be an opportunity to come in and help young guys develop.”
There were also two other factors that led Walton to Oxford and Ole Miss.
“The chance to play for Pete Golding, an experienced SEC coordinator, is really a bonus and I also wanted to play with and practice against an explosive offense that will help me hone my skills,” he explained.
So far, his plan has worked to perfection. It’s looking like he will be one of the starting cornerbacks along with Deantre Prince and he’s developed a liking to his surroundings.
“All the guys have bought in,” Walton noted. “Coach Key (CB Coach Keynodo Hudson) has us going hard,” Zamari continued. “We come to work every day, like pros. We have a good mesh going on.”
He joins two other Georgia Tech transfers in DE Jared Ivey and DT Akelo Stone. Ivey will be one of the starting defensive ends and Stone will have a specific role on the DL it looks like.
“We call it the Tech Takeover,” he laughed. “It’s pretty cool to reunite them. They are friends and good players.”
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Walton is a confident player.
And he’s unshakeable in his belief in his ability to handle the tough assignments of being a cornerback.
“I’m a bigger corner, and I like to use my length to my advantage, but I also have speed. I feel like I am a smart player and I feel I’m very versatile as well,” he assessed.
Walton likes the Rebel defense and the way some of the younger corners are learning their craft.
“Demarko Williams was hurt during spring, but he has come back strong and is doing a great job on our side of the field,” he closed. “Everyone is working hard and competing to be the best they can be.
“That’s why I wanted to be here and to be in the SEC.”
Walton will be donning the number 6 on defense. New addition RB Jam Griffin will be #6 on offense.
That number will be well represented. Zamari Walton will make sure of that.
